Madrid will have a reference Institute for cancer research

CRIS against cancer will contribute to positioning Madrid as an international reference in prevention and diagnosis

The agreement will allow attracting and retaining the best researchers and projects to improve patient care

The CRIS Foundation against cancera reference entity in research against this disease, and the Ministry of Health of the Community of Madrid have signed a general action protocol that establishes collaboration between both entities to promote research, including the creation of a Cancer Research Institute.

The president of the CRIS Foundation against cancer, Lola Manterolahas expressed his satisfaction with the agreement and has valued “the synergies between the Community of Madrid and the CRIS Foundation against cancer to seek joint solutions to the serious global health problem that cancer represents, a growing disease that requires forceful measures by institutions and civil society. The objective of the creation of this Cancer Research Institute “It is working in cancer research in a center of excellence to achieve better and more effective treatments to increase the survival of cancer patients.”

Furthermore, Manterola has emphasized that “if patients increase survival it is thanks to research, both in prevention and early detection, in accurate diagnoses and in new treatments, including advanced therapies and preventive vaccines.” And she has stood out the «importance of public-private collaboration such as the one promoted by the CRIS Foundation against cancer, which raises funds from civil society to invest in research of excellence in public health with the aim that anyone regardless of their socioeconomic situation has access to these treatments and contributes to shortening the times in achieving effective cancer therapies; In addition, the economic investment made in research provides innovation, development and wealth.

Finally, Lola Manterola has stated that «the CRIS Foundation against cancer supports, promotes and finances translational and clinical research in cancer; and promotes scientific vocation and training; carries out social work through education and social mobilization; and ensures that any advances in cancer with successful outcomes reach patients fairly and equitably. We must ensure that effective treatments with proven results after years of research reach all patients. “We must democratize cutting-edge therapies.”

For her part, the Madrid counselor, Fatima Matuterecalled that the agreement will contribute to further energizing scientific activity in the matter, to expand the portfolio of Madrid public health services, also improving the teaching and innovation. “The objective is to continue positioning the region as a national and international reference in prevention, early diagnosis and treatment in this area.”

This agreement establishes the bases for collaboration in comprehensive cancer care of the CRIS Foundation against cancer in the Community of Madrid, through the Ministry of Health, and the Madrid Health Serviceeach within the scope of their respective competencies.

With the signing of this protocol, The Foundation will contribute to positioning the Community of Madrid as a national and international reference in the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, as well as research in line with EU health policies.

The agreement will attract and retain the best researchers and projects to improve patient care, promoting the scientific activity of researchers to expand the portfolio of services of the Madrid health system, improving research, teaching and innovation.

The Foundation defends the need to integrate research within the main public hospitals, so that the generation of new treatments can be led from there. It does this by creating structures in which research laboratories are coordinated, the creation of clinical trials and day-to-day medical practice. This is the philosophy behind the CRIS Research Units, which integrate the best research teams within the hospital, which create and develop new treatments that are then launched in clinical trials. This is an effective way to accelerate the transition from laboratory results to new therapies for patients, and that this transition is led by brilliant researchers in public institutions. In these CRIS Units, patients who have not responded to conventional treatments are treated, giving them another chance at life.

In the Community of Madrid and CRIS against cancer they have created and maintain four CRIS Specialization Units: the CRIS Unit of Advanced Therapies in childhood cancer at the La Paz University Hospital, the CRIS Unit of Experimental Therapies at the San Carlos Clinical Hospital, the Hematological Tumors Unit at the 12 de Octubre University Hospital and the Immunotherapy Unit also in the latter center.

The CRIS Foundation against cancer finances research projects aimed at get better treatments in several of the centers and hospitals most relevant in the Community of Madrid, such as the National Center for Oncological Research, the 12 de Octubre University Hospital, the San Carlos Clinical Hospital, the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Center, the La Paz University Hospital, the Niño Jesús University Hospital and the La Princesa University Hospital. Furthermore, it is committed to the training of new generations of scientists and medical researchersthrough a Research Master in collaboration with the Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology at the Francisco de Vitoria University, and an Extraordinary Professorship in collaboration with the Complutense University of Madrid.

Network research

Since its inception, in 2010develops its international strategy through alliances, scholarships and projects with leading entities and research centers, with which it shares the same scientific objectives in the fight against cancer. The challenge is to build a broad network of collaborations which seeks to jointly accelerate the pace of scientific advances that allow the development of new therapies.

These alliances translate into collaborations and joint programs together with some of the most relevant cancer research institutions on the planet, such as the one that began in 2019 by launching several programs to enhance the careers of young researchers in collaboration with two American foundations, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (with more than 70 years of history and which has supported several Nobel Prize winners), the Prostate Cancer Foundation (the world’s largest prostate cancer research foundation) or research physician training programs with the Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto (Canada) and with Oxford Cancer (United Kingdom), and clinical trial programs with the Gustave Roussy Foundation (France).

Furthermore, CRIS against cancer is part of the Fight Kids Cancer consortiumwhich brings together European foundations (Belgium, France, Holland and Luxembourg) to finance extraordinary international research projects and clinical trials with great potential to change the situation of childhood cancer.

Present in 16 countries

The CRIS Foundation against cancer -Cancer Research & Innovation in Science-, is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated entirely to the promotion and development of cancer research. Its objective is to cure cancer through the commitment of civil society. It is based in Spain, United Kingdom and France.

Currently, it is present in 80 research centers and hospitals in 16 countries. In Spain it has its own therapy and trial units in the main hospitals of the National Health System.

In its 14 years of life, 50 million euros have been invested in research: 39 in the last 5 years; 492 clinical trials have been developed in CRIS projects and Programs; launched 149 lines of research, 85 teams; 303 scientists and researchers have been supported, present in 80 institutions around the world; Publications and communications at conferences total more than 2,000 and we have contributed to the training of young researchers through 116 doctoral theses; 15 patents have been licensed and 7 are in process. Globally, Patients directly benefiting from clinical trials supported by CRIS total more than 8,350although it is estimated that advances in cancer research will benefit millions of potential patients. The Foundation has a global and integrative visionso the advances obtained thanks to the funded projects have the potential to reach any patient.