Last Monday, June 10, we had the honor of celebrating our FERO Benefit Gala 2024 at Las Drassanes Reials in Barcelona.
Nearly 800 personalities from the scientific, social, and business sectors joined us in this celebration where, in addition to raising funds to support oncology research, we awarded 4 new FERO Grants.
Hosted by Helena García Melero, the FERO Benefit Gala 2024 was full of numerous surprises. We began with an outdoor cocktail reception where guests arrived and passed through the photocall to immortalize the moment. Later, in the hall, attendees were welcomed and speeches were given by some members of the Board of Trustees and the FERO team, followed by the awards ceremony. A very moving moment was when it was shown how the Torre Glòries had turned green in honor of the Foundation. Furthermore, this year featured a new “competition” in which the table that made the most donations would be rewarded. Congratulations to table 14! Finally, the singer Joan Garrido delighted us with three songs, which was a very emotional moment.
More than €1,000,000 raised will be used to fund diagnostic and treatment projects for different cancers, as well as to finance part of our new alliance with the Cancer Center at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.
The highlight of the night was, of course, the awards ceremony for the new winners who join the Feritos family with their translational oncology research projects. Learn more about them!
Dr. Francisco Barriga, Group Leader at VHIO (Barcelona)
Winner of the XXVI FERO Grant
His project: “Dissecting the epigenetic and immune effects of MHC LOH in ovarian cancer,” receives this €80,000 grant to study the alteration of anti-tumor immunity and the epigenetic changes that occur due to the loss of chromosome 6p22/17B1 in HGSOC, with the aim of discovering new therapeutic targets.
Research like this is highly necessary since the mortality rate for this type of cancer is at a very high percentage (70%). Furthermore, although numerous efforts have been made in the genetic landscape of HGSOC, a complete understanding of its functioning does not yet exist.
Dr. Silvia Affò, Group Leader at IDIBAPS (Barcelona)
Winner of the XXVII FERO Grant
Her work: “Deciphering the cancer stem cell niche to optimize therapy TIME in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (stemTIME),” seeks a deeper understanding of the mechanism that induces therapy resistance in solid tumors.
Thanks to this grant, endowed with €80,000, she will launch this project which aims to use StemTIME to decipher the functional role of specific CSC populations in iCCA; investigate the effects of chemotherapy and immunotherapy on the CSC niche, TME, and TIME in experimental iCCA models; and explore the CSC niche, TME, and TIME in patients with iCCA.
Dr. Sara Sdelci, Group Leader at CRG (Barcelona)
Winner of the VI FERO-MANGO Project
Her project: “Nuclearized Localization of IMPDH2 Increases Sensitivity to PARP1i: From biomarker to new synergistic strategies for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer” addresses new treatment approaches for one of the most common types of cancer in women.
With a grant of €80,000, she has two years of research ahead in which PARP1i will be studied from two perspectives highly applicable to clinical practice. If successful, this research will contribute to better patient stratification and expand the use of PARP1i to virtually any type of cancer.
Dr. Luis Álvarez-Vallina, Head of the Clinical Research Unit on Cancer Immunotherapy at Hospital 12 de Octubre-CNIO (Madrid)
Winner of the III Dr. Baselga Grant
His interesting project, titled “Overcoming solid tumor defenses with personalized and multi-target SMART-T cells targeting intra- and extracellular antigens,” aims to develop personalized and multi-target STAb-T (SMART-T) therapies for epithelial cancers, which could represent an incredible finding in the field of immunotherapy. Undoubtedly, this research can transform the landscape of cell therapy in solid tumors and lay the foundations for safer and more effective personalized therapies.
This grant, endowed with €300,000, is aimed at established researchers or those in the process of consolidation to help establish their research groups in the field of oncology in Spain. Furthermore, it pays tribute to Dr. Josep Baselga, founder of the FERO Foundation, whose dream was to defeat cancer through research. With projects like this, that legacy is kept alive.
In short, the FERO Benefit Gala 2024 was a very special night. Thank you to all the entities and companies that made this special night possible and to everyone who helps us with your donations to pursue the goal of eradicating cancer.
FERO counts on you. Together we will achieve it!
Patrons
Sponsors and partners
Collaborators and partner companies
