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The newspaper El Periódico de Catalunya, in its ‘health’ section, has published an article on the work of Eduard Batlle, coordinator of the Oncology Programme at IRB Barcelona. Colon cancer, which has a high prevalence in the western world, is treated by surgically removing the affected part of the colon. However, in 35% of the cases the cancer reappears in another part of the body (usually in the liver). This reappearance is due to the fact that a single cancer cell, which has acquired stem cell characteristics, has escaped into the bloodstream and spread through the body. Batlle says that studying whether a patient’s cancer cells have typical stem cells genes activated or not can predict the future behaviour of the cancer.
About IRB Barcelona
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) pursues a society free of disease. To this end, it conducts multidisciplinary research of excellence to cure cancer and other diseases linked to ageing. It establishes technology transfer agreements with the pharmaceutical industry and major hospitals to bring research results closer to society, and organises a range of science outreach activities to engage the public in an open dialogue. IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 400 researchers and more than 30 nationalities. Recognised as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence since 2011, IRB Barcelona is a CERCA centre and member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).
