Noticias

• Health Minister Fernando Domínguez highlights the need to anticipate frailty and strengthen older adults’ autonomy through community-based care.

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Population ageing and the challenges it poses for today’s societies and healthcare systems were the focus of the scientific conference “Ageing in the 21st Century: Contributions from Science, New Challenges,” held today and organized by Navarrabiomed within the framework of the cross-border project Aptitude Proxi. The event explored the role of research and innovative preventive models in improving the quality of life and autonomy of older adults.

The conference was opened by Fernando Domínguez, Minister of Health of the Government of Navarre, accompanied by Nicolás Martínez, representing the University Hospital of Navarra–Navarrabiomed–IdiSNA, and Marina Pollán, Director of the Carlos III Health Institute.
During his address, the Minister stated that:
“Ageing is one of the major challenges facing our societies and encourages us to move towards a healthcare system that prioritizes prevention, proximity, and research, shifting from a disease-centered approach to one focused on anticipation, care, and prevention, as has been promoted through the Aptitude Proxi cross-border project.”

He also emphasized the importance of advancing toward a more preventive healthcare model, capable of detecting frailty at an early stage, strengthening autonomy, and promoting active and healthy ageing.
“The goal is not only to live longer, but to live better, with quality of life and independence,” he said.

Scientific Content of the Conference

The conference highlighted the importance of combining research, healthcare, and community action to advance a more human-centered, preventive, and accessible model of care capable of addressing the challenges of ageing in the 21st century.

The scientific programme addressed, from a multidisciplinary perspective, the main advances and challenges in the field of ageing, with presentations focused on frailty, functional capacity, prevention, health promotion, and the translation of scientific knowledge into clinical practice.
Throughout the different sessions, researchers and healthcare professionals presented research findings and innovative experiences aimed at improving the early detection of risk situations, optimizing care for older adults, and advancing toward more comprehensive, personalized, and evidence-based intervention models.

The event also served as a platform for dialogue among professionals from the fields of research, hospital care, and primary care, strengthening collaboration and facilitating knowledge transfer.

Aptitude Proxi: Prevention and Active Ageing Through Community-Based Care

One of the conference’s central themes was the analysis of the European project Aptitude Proxi, a cross-border cooperation initiative developed under the Interreg POCTEFA programme. Its objective is to prevent frailty and promote active and healthy ageing through a community-based care model.

The project is based on the premise that prevention is most effective when delivered close to people, within their own environment and with the active involvement of the community. To achieve this, it brings together the expertise of geriatrics, primary care, and research teams, combining two complementary lines of action:

•    Community-based geriatric assessments, designed to identify frailty and risk situations at an early stage.
•    Community activities promoting active ageing, aimed at strengthening physical, cognitive, and social capacities.

European Cooperation

Aptitude Proxi is funded 65% by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and involves leading institutions in healthcare and research, including:

•    Toulouse University Hospital (CHU de Toulouse), as lead partner.
•    Navarrabiomed Biomedical Research Centre and the University Hospital of Navarra (HUN/NOU).
•    Fundació Salut i Envelliment of the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
•    Andorran Health Care Service (SAAS).

The project builds on the achievements of the previous APTITUDE initiative (2019–2022), further consolidating a cross-border collaboration network dedicated to healthy ageing and frailty prevention.

This certification recognizes the centre’s activities and projects in scientific outreach and the promotion of STEM vocations.

The team of Navarrabiomed’s Communication and Design Unit has been officially recognized as a Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit (UCC+I) by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), an organization under Spain’s Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. This accreditation represents significant institutional recognition of the work Navarrabiomed has been carrying out in the fields of scientific outreach, research communication, and the promotion of scientific culture within society.

The UCC+I network brings together organizations that play a strategic role in communicating science to the public, promoting access to knowledge, public engagement, and the development of scientific vocations.

Promoting Scientific Culture from Navarra

With this accreditation, Navarrabiomed reaffirms its commitment to the rigorous and accessible dissemination of research activities, as well as to the development of initiatives aimed at fostering public interest in science.

Navarrabiomed’s UCC+I has a 14-year track record in science communication and outreach in the field of biomedical research, as well as in the development of public health campaigns and informational materials for patients and families within the Navarre Health Service (SNS-O). Its most notable projects include an interactive travelling science exhibition featuring augmented reality, science forum theatre with a gender perspective, and participatory sessions designed to promote inclusive and citizen-oriented science, among other initiatives.

Recognition of Excellence in Scientific Communication

Through this accreditation, FECYT recognizes organizations’ ability to develop communication strategies based on quality, social impact, and scientific rigour, with the aim of promoting public interest in science and fostering a stronger scientific culture in society. This recognition positions Navarrabiomed as a leading institution in science communication within the biomedical and healthcare environment, strengthening its role in transferring knowledge generated through research to society.

Membership in the UCC+I network will enable the Navarrabiomed team to exchange experiences and best practices with other organizations and to participate in collaborative projects at a national level.

The study describes the underlying molecular alterations and offers more effective therapeutic options.

Professionals from Navarrabiomed’s Translational Medical Oncology Unit Identify a New Biomarker Capable of Predicting Resistance to Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer Patients with High PD-L1 Levels. This discovery provides a better understanding of the underlying molecular alterations that drive resistance and opens the door to new therapeutic strategies to overcome it.

The findings, recently published in the Translational Oncology Journal, are part of a broader research project led by Hugo Arasanz, Co-Principal Investigator of the Translational Medical Oncology Unit at Navarrabiomed and medical oncologist at the University Hospital of Navarra. The study also forms part of the doctoral research of Natalia Castro, a predoctoral researcher in the unit and currently a medical oncologist at the University of Navarra Clinic. In addition, the team from Navarrabiomed’s Oncoimmunology Unit played an active role in the study.

Research details

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and treatment options vary according to tumoral PD-L1 expression. In patients with metastatic disease, which is the most common stage at diagnosis, immunotherapy is the standard treatment when PD-L1 expression is high. Conversely, when PD-L1 expression is low, immunotherapy must be combined with chemotherapy.

However, approximately half of patients with high PD-L1 expression do not respond to immunotherapy, and until now the underlying mechanisms responsible for this resistance remained largely unknown.

The Navarrabiomed team has identified a specific population of immune cells circulating in the bloodstream, known as low-density neutrophils (LDNs), as being responsible for this resistance. Elevated levels of these cells act as a biomarker predicting a poorer response to immunotherapy. Importantly, the study demonstrates that these same patients can benefit from a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, making it possible to overcome this initial resistance.

This finding has significant clinical implications, as it could enable treatment to be tailored from the outset according to each patient’s profile, potentially improving clinical outcomes. Specifically, patients with high PD-L1 expression who also present elevated levels of low-density neutrophils could be treated with chemoimmunotherapy, thereby reversing their initial resistance to treatment.

Furthermore, the technique used to detect low-density neutrophils is already available in hospitals, which would facilitate its implementation in routine clinical practice.
 

Funding and dissemination

This research was made possible thanks to funding and support from the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) through the SEOM Grant for Translational Research Projects in Immuno-Oncology 2023 and the AECC Junior Clinical Fellowship 2019, as well as from the Government of Navarra through the Government of Navarra Intensification Grant 2024.

In addition to the aforementioned publication, the results have already been presented at five international and three national oncology conferences of recognized relevance.

The professionals of the Translational Medical Oncology Unit are currently seeking additional funding to validate these findings through a prospective randomized clinical trial. In parallel, they also plan to assess the results within ongoing international clinical trials.

Figure 1: Heat map representing the complete proteome identified in low-density neutrophils (LDNs) (n = 9) compared with high-density neutrophils (HDNs) (n = 9), showing overexpressed proteins (red) and underexpressed proteins (green), ranging from a z-score of −11.28 (green) to +12.83 (red).

Figure 2: Subgroups of proteins overexpressed in low-density neutrophils (LDNs) compared with high-density neutrophils (HDNs), organized according to functionality and interactions. Functional interactomes representing proteins overexpressed in LDNs compared with HDNs, grouped by biological function.

•    The strategic project, led by Navarrabiomed, confirms the effectiveness of a physical exercise programme and a remote monitoring platform in improving functional capacity and quality of life in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Individualized physical exercise prescription, supervised and supported by technology, is emerging as a leading therapeutic tool against heart failure. This is the main conclusion of the strategic project SENSORFIT-4HEART, which presented its results at a final meeting attended by representatives of the Department of Industry and Ecological and Digital Business Transition of the Government of Navarra and the consortium partners. Coordinated by Navarrabiomed, the initiative has developed a novel model that integrates clinical evidence, biomedical knowledge, and technology to address this condition.

Specifically, the project has designed and validated a multiparametric platform for the prescription and remote monitoring of physical exercise in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This complex syndrome, whose incidence continues to increase and which carries a poor prognosis, already accounts for nearly 50% of all heart failure cases. It significantly limits patients’ functional capacity and still has relatively few effective clinical treatment options.

Physical exercise as a clinical intervention

SENSORFIT-4HEART is based on a key premise: when appropriately prescribed, supervised, and personalized, physical exercise can become a highly impactful therapeutic tool for patients with heart failure.
“We wanted to address a very clear need: helping heart failure patients exercise safely, effectively, and in a personalized way, with the goal of improving their functional capacity and quality of life,” explains Mikel Izquierdo, Principal Investigator of the project, Head of the Exercise, Health, Metabolism and Functional Capacity Unit at Navarrabiomed, and Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at the Public University of Navarra.

To achieve this objective, the project was structured around three pillars: the clinical validation of exercise, the study of its biological effects, and the development of technological tools to facilitate its integration into routine clinical practice. On the clinical side, a trial involving 150 patients from Navarra University Hospital was conducted. Participants completed a 12-week combined programme consisting of aerobic and strength-training exercises.

Clinical results and scientific advances

The project results confirm the potential of exercise as a clinical intervention. Patients participating in the programme showed significant improvements in muscle strength (20-30%), as well as enhanced functional capacity and exercise tolerance. The programme also achieved a high level of adherence, demonstrating its feasibility in real-world conditions.
At the same time, the project advanced understanding of the biological mechanisms associated with exercise. Researchers identified changes in proteins related to inflammation and metabolism, as well as differences in responses between men and women, incorporating a gender perspective throughout the study.
Coordinated by Navarrabiomed-Miguel Servet Foundation, the consortium included participation from Navarra University Hospital, CIMA University of Navarra, the technology centre NAITEC, the companies Lorpeland and 540, as well as ADItech, forming a multidisciplinary partnership that combines clinical and biomedical research with technological development. The project was co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through Navarra’s ERDF 2021-2027 Programme, and by the Government of Navarra under the 2023-2026 Strategic R&D Projects Call.

Technology for remote monitoring

One of the distinguishing features of SENSORFIT-4HEART has been the development of technological solutions that enable exercise prescription and monitoring beyond the hospital setting.
The consortium developed a smart shirt with an integrated electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, together with a mobile application and a digital platform capable of monitoring patients’ physiological status in real time and recording their progress throughout the training programme.
These tools pave the way for a more accessible and scalable healthcare model, allowing patients to carry out exercise programmes from home under remote clinical supervision.

A new model for managing heart failure

The project has demonstrated that combining personalized exercise prescription, digital monitoring, and biomedical knowledge can improve health outcomes for patients with heart failure.
“SENSORFIT-4HEART opens the door to a new clinical management model for heart failure, one that combines data-driven personalized exercise prescription, biomedical knowledge, and technology to improve people’s lives,” concludes Mikel Izquierdo.
Its results can directly benefit both patients and healthcare professionals, who now have access to stronger evidence and new tools for prescribing exercise safely and effectively. The project also strengthens Navarra’s health and technology ecosystem and lays the foundations for future implementation in cardiac rehabilitation programmes.
In the medium term, solutions of this kind could help reduce hospital admissions, improve quality of life, and optimize healthcare system resources.
With SENSORFIT-4HEART, Navarra reinforces its commitment to a personalized medicine model in which physical exercise, supported by technology and grounded in scientific evidence, is established as a key therapeutic intervention.

• Developed by Navarrabiomed's Childhood and Adolescent Physical Activity Research Unit

The Diactive-1 project, led by the Childhood and Adolescent Physical Activity Research Unit at Navarrabiomed in collaboration with the Navarra University Hospital (HUN/NOU), ANADI, and managed through IdiSNA, has been awarded the ITEMAS-ISCIII Quality Seal. This recognition endorses its scientific and technical quality, level of maturity, and transfer potential as an innovative digital health solution.

Diactive-1 stems from a well-established line of research developed through projects funded by the Carlos III Health Institute (PI21/01238), focused on improving the safety, personalization, and effectiveness of physical exercise among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

The project has been materialized as a mobile application designed to facilitate safe physical activity tailored to each user's needs. The tool provides personalized strength training programs, therapeutic education content, and recommendations aimed at maintaining glucose stability during exercise. Its goal is to support the integration of physical activity into disease management and contribute to improving the health and quality of life of children and adolescents living with type 1 diabetes.

Recognition of its transfer potential

According to the evaluation report, Diactive-1 addresses a significant clinical need and demonstrates strong potential for implementation within Spain's National Health System. The report also highlights the advanced stage of development achieved by the project and its capacity to progress toward future validation and implementation phases.

One of its key strengths is its current presence in 11 hospitals (PI24/00829), which facilitates the generation of evidence in real-world clinical settings and supports its future incorporation into routine healthcare practice.

"Receiving the ITEMAS-ISCIII Quality Seal is a major endorsement for Diactive-1 because it recognizes not only the project's scientific and technological quality, but also its transfer potential and possible impact on clinical practice," said Antonio García-Hermoso, Principal Investigator of the project and Associate Professor at the Public University of Navarra (UPNA).

Promoting technology valorization

The achievement of this recognition has been made possible through the joint efforts of the research team and Navarrabiomed's Scientific-Technical Innovation Service, which has supported the project's maturation process and the development of its transfer strategy. As part of this process, Diactive-1 has registered its trademark (No. 019322598), strengthening its identity and positioning as an innovative digital solution for pediatric type 1 diabetes management in individuals aged 8 to 18 years.

"This recognition highlights the importance of addressing technology transfer from the very early stages of research projects. In the case of Diactive-1, an accompanying process has enabled us to consolidate its value proposition, define its protection strategy, and prepare a competitive application for the ITEMAS-ISCIII Quality Seal," explained Beatriz Pérez, Head of Navarrabiomed's Scientific-Technical Innovation Service.

Research aimed at making an impact

With this distinction, Diactive-1 further strengthens its position as a digital solution designed to address a real clinical need and with the potential for integration into the healthcare system. The project combines scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and technology to promote safer and more personalized physical exercise among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. "This is a step toward helping young people with type 1 diabetes feel a little freer," said Ignacio Hormazabal and Jacinto Muñoz, researchers involved in the project.

The award of the ITEMAS-ISCIII Quality Seal also incorporates Diactive-1 into a national network of innovative initiatives with potential application in the healthcare system. Navarrabiomed is part of ITEMAS as an associated entity, a platform of the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) that promotes healthcare innovation and technology transfer through a network comprising more than one hundred hospitals, institutes, and research centers. This collaboration supports the development, validation, and adoption of innovations designed to address the real needs of patients and healthcare professionals, helping projects such as Diactive-1 advance toward practical implementation within the healthcare system.

• Navarrabiomed has led this initiative, which promotes brain immunomodulation strategies to preserve and improve cognitive and motor functions

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The INNOLFACT 2.0 project, led by Navarrabiomed and carried out by the Navarra University Hospital (HUN), CIMA, the University of Navarra, ADItech Foundation, and the companies Eversens and NNBI 2020, has concluded with highly significant results in the field of precision medicine applied to neurodegenerative diseases. The Department of Industry and of Ecological and Digital Business Transition awarded €1.6 million in funding through the 2023-2026 Strategic Projects Call for the second phase of INNOLFACT, enabling the consolidation of an innovative approach that connects the olfactory system, the immune system, and cognition.

INNOLFACT 2.0, led by Enrique Santamaría, Principal Investigator of the Clinical Neuroproteomics Unit at Navarrabiomed, and Ana María García-Osta, Co-Principal Investigator of the project and researcher in the Neurological Disease Gene Therapy Program at CIMA University of Navarra, has consolidated a translational research model focused on the olfactory-immune-brain axis, with direct applications in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Developed by a multidisciplinary consortium, INNOLFACT 2.0 has promoted the implementation of Olfactory Precision Medicine, an innovative approach that positions the olfactory system as a key tool both for the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases and for the development of new therapeutic strategies.

The INNOLFACT 2.0 project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through Navarra’s ERDF 2021-2027 Programme, and by the Government of Navarra under the 2023-2026 Strategic R&D Projects Call, with total funding of €1.6 million. The project has been part of the SIBERIA Challenge, which focuses on finding innovative biotechnology solutions. Since 2019, the Department of Industry and of Ecological and Digital Business Transition has already funded 13 projects in this field.

The project has achieved its scientific and collaborative objectives, demonstrating a clear interaction between the olfactory, immune, and cognitive systems, and establishing a solid framework for future initiatives in the field of neurodegeneration. Through INNOLFACT 2.0, Navarra reaffirms its commitment to research excellence and advances towards a model in which the olfactory pathway becomes a relevant tool for anticipating and understanding the progression of complex diseases.

Olfaction as a biomarker and intervention pathway

The project has highlighted the value of olfaction as an early indicator of neurodegeneration, as well as its close relationship with immune processes involved in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. In this context, INNOLFACT 2.0 has generated new knowledge on the mechanisms linking olfactory function with the immune response and the central nervous system. The project has advanced the identification of olfactory, immunological, and molecular biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, while also developing intranasal delivery systems for repurposed drugs that have successfully passed the initial validation stages in animal models.
Furthermore, the project has enabled the integration of clinical, sensory, and omics data to improve patient stratification and early diagnosis, incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to support disease prediction and classification in clinical settings.

Therapeutic innovation: from diagnosis to intervention

One of the most distinctive aspects of the project has been its exploration of the olfactory system not only as a diagnostic tool but also as a potential therapeutic route. In this regard, INNOLFACT 2.0 has laid the groundwork for the development of intranasal therapies targeting the central nervous system, taking advantage of the direct connection between the olfactory pathway and the brain.
In addition, the project has promoted the study of brain immunomodulation strategies aimed at preserving or improving cognitive and motor functions, as well as the application of olfactory training as a potential sensory intervention tool with clinical impact.

A high-level multidisciplinary consortium

INNOLFACT 2.0 has consolidated a collaborative ecosystem that integrates biomedical research, clinical practice, and technological development. This ecosystem is structured around a consortium bringing together the capabilities of Navarrabiomed, the Navarra University Hospital, the University of Navarra Clinic, CIMA, and the University of Navarra, with expertise in proteomics, geriatrics, neurology, otorhinolaryngology, neurobiology, immunology, bioinformatics, engineering, and data analysis.

The project also includes a strong knowledge-transfer component through the participation of the Navarre-based companies NNBi, focused on predictive algorithm development and healthcare digitalization, and Eversens, which specializes in the development of non-invasive medical devices for monitoring biomarkers in exhaled breath. Furthermore, with the methodological support of ADItech, coordinator of the Navarra R&D&I System (SINAI), a gender perspective has been integrated throughout all stages of the project, following evidence of sex-related differences in neurodegenerative diseases.

In line with the vision set out by the project, INNOLFACT 2.0 lays the foundations for further integrating olfaction into the clinical management of neurodegenerative diseases and aging, with the goal of improving early detection and exploring new therapeutic approaches focused on maintaining the proper functioning of the olfactory-immune-brain axis.

The deadline for submitting proposals is 31 August 2026. 

The European project THERESA PCP, coordinated by Navarrabiomed-Miguel Servet Foundation, has officially launched its call for tenders with the aim of promoting the development of innovative technologies for hospital wastewater treatment. The call has an estimated total budget of up to €2.9 million to support solutions from their design phase through to validation in real-world conditions and is funded by the Horizon Europe programme. 

A three-phase pre-commercial procurement process

The procurement is structured as a competitive process in three phases, characteristic of the PCP model, which allows for the progressive development of the proposed solutions-from initial concept design to validation in real operating environments:
•    Phase 1 (solution design): up to €20,000 per contractor, with a maximum of five selected proposals.
•    Phase 2 (prototype development): up to €500,000 per contractor, with a maximum of three selected.
•    Phase 3 (validation and demonstration): up to €450,000 per contractor, with a maximum of two participants. 

Call open to innovative companies and organisations

The call is addressed to companies, SMEs, startups and technological consortia developing innovative solutions in the field of hospital wastewater treatment. The project aims to attract proposals that contribute to reducing the environmental impact of these effluents, as well as mitigating associated risks such as the presence of pharmaceutical contaminants or resistant microorganisms. 

Interested entities must follow a participation process that includes downloading the tender documentation, preparing the proposal-with the possibility to submit questions and establish collaborations through a matchmaking platform-and the final submission of the offer. 

Online information session

To facilitate participation and address potential questions, an online information session to present the tender documents will take place on 17 June at 10:00 (CEST). During this session, the details of the process will be explained and any questions raised by participants will be addressed. 

All interested organisations are encouraged to attend this session, which is intended as a key opportunity to better understand the requirements of the call and support proposal preparation. 

Registration for the information session: Registration form for the online session. 

Deadline and access to the tender: The deadline for submitting proposals is 31 August 2026. 

Additional information:

• Tender notice in the Official Journal of the European Union.
• Project website and full documentation.
• Submission platform.
• Matchmaking platform to identify partners.

This innovative preclinical study specifically destroys the chromosome of Staphylococcus aureus, one of the world’s most dangerous and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The Microbial Pathogenesis Unit at Navarrabiomed-UPNA has developed an innovative antimicrobial strategy capable of eliminating infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium associated with more than one million deaths worldwide each year. The innovation, currently at the preclinical stage, is based on the genetic modification of viruses to act as “Trojan horses,” entering exclusively into Staphylococcus aureus cells and destroying them from within, without affecting the other microorganisms that make up the body’s microbiota.

The research, published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes and funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, involved multidisciplinary work combining molecular microbiology, synthetic biology, and experimental mouse infection models. The study was led by Dr. Íñigo Lasa, Principal Investigator of the Microbial Pathogenesis Unit at Navarrabiomed and Professor at the Public University of Navarra (UPNA). The work was carried out primarily by Nahiara Garmendia-Antoñana and Pedro Dorado-Morales, with the collaboration of José R. Penadés, Head of the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London.

Research Impact

Staphylococcus aureus is a very common bacterium that colonizes the skin and nasal passages of approximately 30% of the adult population. However, once it breaches the epithelial barrier, it becomes an extraordinarily versatile pathogen. For this reason, the international scientific community is engaged in a race against time to develop precision antimicrobials capable of effectively targeting it.

The Navarrabiomed study uses synthetically engineered bacteriophages, viruses that specifically infect Staphylococcus aureus. These viruses carry the CRISPR gene-editing system, acting as molecular scissors programmed to cut the genetic material of the bacterium. The viruses are completely harmless to humans because they are unable to infect human cells. To date, the therapy’s effectiveness has been demonstrated in experimental models of mastitis (an infection of the mammary gland that commonly affects both animals and women). In these models, the new treatment proved to be as effective as vancomycin, one of the most powerful antibiotics currently available for treating infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Íñigo Lasa, who led the research, highlights the significance of this therapeutic approach:
“One of the major advantages of this strategy is its extremely high precision: it targets only Staphylococcus aureus at the site of infection without affecting the rest of the body's bacterial communities. This represents a key difference from conventional antibiotics, which generally act indiscriminately and also destroy bacteria that perform essential functions for human health.”

A Global Clinical Threat

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers Staphylococcus aureus one of the major threats to global public health because of its remarkable ability to evade conventional treatments. One of the bacterium’s greatest dangers is its capacity to adhere to surfaces and form biofilms: protective layers that can make it up to 1,000 times more resistant to antibiotics and immune-system defenses. Standard treatment typically relies on antibiotics such as vancomycin or daptomycin. However, when resistant strains emerge, therapeutic options can become severely limited.

Risk factors for developing serious Staphylococcus aureus infections include hospital surgeries, medical implants, open wounds, trauma, chronic diseases, and weakened immune systems. In maternal and child health as well as veterinary medicine, the bacterium is also associated with mastitis during breastfeeding.

Another reason why Staphylococcus aureus infections are becoming increasingly common is the ageing population and the growing use of prosthetic devices and implants. In such cases, the bacterium can colonize the implant surface and cause chronic infections that are often resolved only through the removal of the contaminated prosthesis and its replacement with a new one.

This newly identified mechanism will enable the study of novel therapeutic approaches for patients who do not respond to conventional immunotherapies, paving the way for more personalized and precise medicine.

Researchers from the Oncoimmunology Unit at the biomedical research center Navarrabiomed have identified a new molecular signalling pathway involving the interaction between the molecules PD-1, LAG-3, and MYC that impairs the proper functioning of the immune system in cancer patients, leading to resistance to conventional immunotherapy treatments. This discovery opens new avenues for the development of therapeutic strategies aimed at overcoming resistance to cancer immunotherapies.

The research, recently published in the high-impact scientific journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, was led by Drs. Luisa Chocarro, David Escors, and Grazyna Kochan.

New Molecular Pathways

The immunotherapies currently administered in hospitals are biological treatments designed to activate the immune system of cancer patients, enhancing the body's natural defenses to fight tumors. However, some patients do not respond to these treatments because their immune systems fail to function properly and develop mechanisms of therapeutic resistance. This resistance is frequently associated with the expression of LAG-3 on lymphocytes, a type of immune cell, and is considered one of the most important mechanisms underlying resistance to conventional immunotherapies. In this Navarrabiomed study, researchers applied high-throughput technologies to investigate how LAG-3 functions at the molecular level in immune-system lymphocytes in cancer.

For the first time, the study provides a detailed characterization of how LAG-3 operates both independently and in combination with PD-1 to inactivate lymphocytes. Specifically, the researchers discovered that the molecular cooperation between LAG-3 and PD-1 is regulated through the inhibition of MYC, another molecule of major importance in cancer biology. This inhibition causes lymphocytes to lose their ability to effectively recognize and eliminate cancer cells. The role of MYC inhibition was validated in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes expressing PD-1 and LAG-3, as well as through the analysis of public genomic datasets from more than 500 cancer patients.

This research proposes, for the first time, a novel molecular pathway explaining why lymphocytes fail to destroy tumors. The findings also provide the foundation for future studies at Navarrabiomed aimed at further exploring these molecular mechanisms and developing new therapies to counteract them.

Dissemination of Results and Funding

The research was conducted in close collaboration with Navarrabiomed’s Proteomics Scientific-Technical Service and was made possible through funding from the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), the Government of Navarre, and the European Union.

In addition to the recently published article, the findings were presented in 2025 at the ESMO Molecular Analysis for Precision Oncology (MAP) Congress, organized by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Paris.

• The publication compiles the current reference protocols available to support a more personalized and precise clinical management of the disease.

Esophageal cancer is a malignancy arising from the cells lining the inner mucosal surface of the esophagus, the part of the digestive tract that connects the throat to the stomach. It is considered an aggressive disease and ranks as the seventh leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Maria Alsina, Medical Oncologist at Navarra University Hospital (HUN) and Principal Investigator of the Translational Medical Oncology Unit at Navarrabiomed, specializing in the treatment of patients with esophagogastric cancers, has led the publication of the “SEOM-GEMCAD-TTD Clinical Guidelines for Esophageal Cancer 2025” in the international open-access journal Clinical and Translational Oncology.

The publication updates the clinical care protocols for the management of esophageal cancer in Spain and serves as a reference guideline for medical oncologists across Spanish hospitals. It provides a comprehensive summary of the current scientific evidence regarding the diagnosis and therapeutic options available for this type of cancer.

Esophageal cancer is a highly lethal disease that requires a multidisciplinary approach. The guideline includes the latest developments in chemotherapy treatment for patients eligible for surgery, as well as the incorporation of targeted therapies, including immunotherapy, in more advanced stages of the disease. “The introduction of these changes has had a positive impact, improving survival outcomes for patients with esophageal cancer,” says Maria Alsina.

The guideline was developed under the leadership of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), in collaboration with the Digestive Tumor Treatment Group (TTD) and the Spanish Multidisciplinary Group for Digestive Cancer (GEMCAD). Co-led by Dr. Maria Alsina and Dr. Ana Fernández-Montes from the University Hospital Complex of Ourense, the guideline also involved specialists from several leading Spanish healthcare institutions, including:

•    Regional University Hospital of Málaga
•    La Paz University Hospital
•    Virgen de la Salud Hospital
•    Elche General University Hospital
•    12 de Octubre University Hospital
•    Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital

Read the full press release.