IV FERO Grant – Dr. Héctor G. Palmer

It is common for seemingly cured, disease-free patients to relapse years later, developing much more aggressive and lethal tumors. The culprits behind these relapses are treatment-resistant tumor cells that remain dormant. This project aimed to isolate these cells and study their distinctive characteristics to find solutions.

The project identified a therapeutic target whose inhibition leads to the elimination of these chemoresistant cells. Furthermore, a biomarker was defined that reveals the presence of these resistant cells in tumors before treatment. This will allow for their detection in cancer patients, enabling, for example, more frequent clinical follow-up and longer adjuvant treatments.