Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (MPET)

Research Program

Paediatric Cancer

Where we are

Institut de Biomedicina de la UB (IBUB)

How to reach us

Related websites

Our research group forms part of the Biomedicine and Molecular Pharmacology Section of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine at the University of Barcelona.

We are recognised as a consolidated group by the Government of Catalonia (SGR 416) and have also been part of the CIBEREHD (Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases) oncology programme since 2006.

Research lines

  1. Molecular pharmacology of drug transporters and impact on the mechanisms of action of chemotherapy in cancer.
  2. The role of cell transportome in oncogenesis.
  3. Purinergic regulation in inflammation.
  4. Nucleotide metabolism in the pathophysiology of cancer and rare diseases.

Scientific objectives

  1. To identify and functionally validate new protein networks linked to nucleotide metabolism, likely to contribute to oncogenesis and that could be established as new pharmacological targets.
  2. To validate new molecules likely to modulate purinergic responses in inflammation.
  3. To analyse epigenetic control mechanisms of cell transportome in the context of tumour proliferation.
  4. To generate new experimental models for preclinical validation of anti-tumour drugs.

Area/Field of expertise

The MPET group is an international benchmark in the field of the bioavailability and mechanisms of action of anti-tumour, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory drugs. Our research in pharmacology has included the pharmacogenetic testing of genetic variants of drug transporters with high-allelle frequency  in humans. We have developed various experimental models to anticipate drug-drug interactions likely to condition the therapeutic response. This area of ​study has focused mostly, though not exclusively, on nucleoside-derived drugs.

Complementary to the pharmacological study of transporter proteins, MPET has also contributed new knowledge on the molecular and cell biology of membrane proteins involved in nucleotide metabolism. We have contributed new evidence of the gene and protein networks that may be altered in oncogenic processes. We use state-of-the-art technology to analyse transport membrane protein interactome with the aim of identifying possible new therapeutic targets capable of modulating nucleotide metabolism and, consequently, cell proliferation.

Our area of specialisation is in fact extremely broad. We can conduct, for example, mechanistic studies of the action of a specific drug or metabolic studies on the metabolism of nucleotides and nucleic acids. These can be applied to a wide range of pathologies, from rare diseases in childhood to inflammatory diseases or cancer.

Group members

Last Publications

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Theses

  • Estudio de la interacción de hCNT3 y QDPR como nexo funcional entre la recuperación de nucleósidos y sus vías biosintéticas
    Author
    Prieto Carruyo, Andrea Valentina
    Institution
    UNIVERSIDAD DE BARCELONA
    15/12/2023
  • Implicacions fisiopatològiques de l'alteració del transportador concentratiu de nucleòsids hCNT1
    Author
    Mata Ventosa, Aida
    Institution
    UNIVERSIDAD DE BARCELONA
    29/11/2019
  • Caracterizació de les alteracions moleculars deFLT3 en pacients pediàtrics afectes de leucèmia aguda. Correlació amb l’activitat i expressió dels transportadors de fàrmacs derivats de nucleòsids
    Author
    Català Temprano, Albert
    Institution
    UNIVERSIDAD DE BARCELONA
    26/05/2017
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