The scientist from Cádiz Javier Martínez de Salazar participates in research on breast cancer carried out by the Institute of Matter that directs the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and in which the foundations Contamos Contigo and Vall d’Hebron are also involved. In this collaborative project is integrated the doctor Javier Cortés Castán, one of the oncologists who is considered an eminence in Spain.
Martínez de Salazar assures that the research focuses “on understanding the biophysical activity of certain drugs that are used in a type of cancer called HER2 positive”. In this sense, he recognizes that his studies are of a very basic nature “and although simple experimental approaches are used, most of the research is carried out ‘in silico’, that is, with advanced computational methods”.
Thus, these laboratory studies allow, in certain cases, “Improve understanding of molecular mechanisms for which the drugs used in the therapies are effective, thus opening a possible door to other variants or alternative routes to the therapies ”, says Javier Martínez de Salazar.
The collaboration with Dr. Cortes began in 2013, when the group from Cádiz “already had extensive experience with a set of membrane proteins”, among which is the previously mentioned HER2. Contact with Javier Cortés has been, in the opinion of Martínez de Salazar, “an important incentive in that his advanced knowledge in this type of cancer and his great enthusiasm drove our activity and dedication to this project ”.
Regarding the practical applications that this research in which he is immersed could have, Dr. Martínez de Salazar acknowledges that it is “difficult to answer since there are several stages in the investigation of these tumor processes and in the treatments that are applied. In basic research it is sometimes difficult to measure the specific contribution to a final result of a scientific objective ”. However, it warns that “the results of our research, which are normally disseminated through specialized magazines and communications to congresses, may contribute to knowledge of key routes that open possible routes to alternative therapies ”.
He categorically states that the contribution of Javier Cortes Castán to this research project is “essential, not only because with his very current knowledge of the subject he clearly points to the specific objectives of the project but also because with their high enthusiasm both act as a motivating force in our activity ”.
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Biophysics at the service of the pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected many research projects, but not so much because of the issue of financial funds, but as Dr. Javier Martínez de Salazar says, “because a large part of the research groups that we work with in the field of biophysics they initially turned to projects related to Covid-19 ”. In fact, he assures that the group of which he is part launched a citizen collaboration project called Covid-Phym “for the investigation of potential drugs through a distributed computing network in which numerous citizens and institutions participated.”
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