Despite advances in cancer research, chemotherapy (CT) and radiotherapy (RT) remain the conventional treatments for many tumors. It is estimated that up to 50% of cancer patients are treated with RT and cisplatin-based CT is administered to 10-20% of all cancer patients. This is the case of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) which arises from the epithelial cells of the oral cavity, pharynx or larynx, and whose survival rate, around 50%, has not improved in the last 30 years.

Spermatology in animal production and conservation (SAProC) and signalling mechanisms involved in sperm physiology and in the cross-talk and/or male-female interaction.

Our overall aim is to understand the nanoscale physiology of the brain. Hereunder the role of the brain extracellular space (ECS) in signalling and metabolite clearance through modulation of diffusion, and the integrated regulation by multiple partners of synaptic signalling, beyond the mere pre- and post-synapse pair. To pursue these research lines we combine electrophysiology and fluorescence imaging in live brain slices, allowing us to read out structure and function. We are enabled by our expertise in super-resolution STED microscopy, and our implementation of this technique in our lab.

The Membrane Trafficking Laboratory, led by Ikerbasque Research Professor Aitor Hierro at the Biofisika Institute (CSIC-UPV/EHU) in Leioa, Spain, studies intracellular receptor recycling, crucial for nutrient uptake, signal transduction, immune surveillance, and waste management. Disruptions in this process are linked to diseases like cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative disorders. A key focus is endosomes, major sorting stations where biosynthetic and endocytic pathways intersect.