Edurne Berra
eberra
Edurne Berra
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Cancer Cell Signaling And Metabolism Lab
Email: eberra@cicbiogune.es
Phone: 4204 / 946572506
Address: Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, building 801A, Derio (Bizkaia)

Edurne Berra got her Degree in Pharmacy at the University of Navarra (Pamplona, Spain) and a Licence Spéciale in Toxicology at the ULB (Brussels, Belgium). She started her research career, supervised by Dr J. Moscat at the CBM “Severo Ochoa” (Madrid, Spain), studying the signalling pathways triggered by the atypical PKC isotypes (PKCζ and λ). After a first postdoctoral at the Glaxo-Wellcome-CSIC laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology (Madrid, Spain), Edurne moved to Dr J. Pouysségur’s lab (Nice, France) where she was appointed Chargé de Recherche (CNRS-CR1) and she got her HDR (Habilitation à la Direction de Recherche). In November 2007, Edurne joined CIC bioGUNE to lead her independent group, which is devoted to establish new players of the hypoxia signalling pathway, and to further translate this research to potential therapeutic applications in hypoxia related pathologies such as cancer. 

Edurne has authored more than 50 scientific publications in highly prestigious journals (Cell, EMBO Journal, PNAS...) that received more than 7000 citations. Edurne has been awarded the Fundación Renal “Iñigo Alvarez de Toledo” Prize (2007), the “Dr Joseph Amalrich” Prize for Excellence in Cancer Research (2002) and the HFSP (1999) and EMBO (1998) Fellowships. Edurne is member of the Spanish Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SEBBM), the Spanish Society for Cancer Research (ASEICA) and the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR), and she is on the committee of the Spanish and the European Hypoxia Network

The research in the Carracedo lab is aimed at deconstructing the essential requirements of cancer cells with special emphasis on the translation of the acquired knowledge from bench to bedside. In order to define the genuine features of cancer cells, we focus on the signalling and metabolic alterations in prostate and breast cancer. Through the use of a hierarchical approach with increasing complexity, we work on cell lines and primary cultures (using cell and molecular biology technologies), mouse models of prostate cancer that are faithful to the human disease and the analysis of human specimens through the development of prospective and retrospective studies. Our work stems from the hypothesis that cancer is driven by signalling and metabolic alterations that, once identified, can be targeted for therapy. The center and our collaborator institutions offer state-of-the-art technologies (from OMICS to in vivo imaging), which allow us to build and answer our hypotheses with high level of confidence.
To address our scientific questions in cancer, the Carracedo lab has developed a series of research lines:

  • Bioinformatics-based discovery. The lab takes full advantage on publicly available human prostate and breast cancer datasets in order to identify candidate genes to contribute to cancer pathogenesis, progression and response to therapy. Best hits are then validated employing genetic mouse models, xenograft surrogate assays and the latest advances in cellular and molecular biology combined with OMICs technologies.
  • Genetic mouse models as a source for the identification of novel cancer players. Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) can faithfully recapitulate many aspects of human cancer. Dr. Carracedo envisions the molecular analysis of GEMMs with high throughput technologies as a mean to identify novel cancer-related genes. These hits are then validated through the analysis of human cancer specimens and cellular and molecular biology approaches.
  • Multi-OMICs analysis for non-invasive biomarker identification. Biofluids are the perfect source for cancer biomarkers that can inform about the presence or features of cancer. The lab has undertaken a biomarker discovery approach by applying the latest OMICs technologies to biofluid specimens from well-annotated prostate cancer patients, in order to define better molecules that inform about this disease.
Latest Publications

STAT3/LKB1 controls metastatic prostate cancer by regulating mTORC1/CREB pathway

Pencik, J; Philippe, C; Schlederer, M; Atas, E; Pecoraro, M; Grund-Gröchke, S; Li, W; Tracz, A; Heidegger, I; Lagger, S; Trachtová, K; Oberhuber, M; Heitzer, E; Aksoy, O; Neubauer, HA; Wingelhofer, ...

MOLECULAR CANCER

2023-08-12

METTL1 promotes tumorigenesis through tRNA-derived fragment biogenesis in prostate cancer

García-Vilchez, R; Anazco-Guenkova, AM; Dietmann, S; López, J; Morón-Calvente, V; DAmbrosi, S; Nombela, P; Zamacola, K; Mendizabal, I; García-Longarte, S; Zabala-Letona, A; Astobiza, I; Fernández, ...

MOLECULAR CANCER

2023-07-29

Machine Learning-Assisted High-Throughput SERS Classification of Cell Secretomes

Plou, J; Valera, PS; García, I; Vila-Liarte, D; Renero-Lecuna, C; Ruiz-Cabello, J; Carracedo, A; Liz-Marzán, LM;

SMALL

2023-04-12

Identifying prognostic parameters related to surgical technique in patients treated by robotic radical prostatectomy

Iriarte, AL; Viscasillas, IL; Gonzalez, SR; Martín, AS; Aparicio, DG; Olano, AU; Pérez, AC; Urzaiz, MU;

ACTAS UROLOGICAS ESPANOLAS

2023-01-01

CiberAMP: An R Package to Identify Differential mRNA Expression Linked to Somatic Copy Number Variations in Cancer Datasets

Caloto, R; Lorenzo-Martín, LF; Quesada, V; Carracedo, A; Bustelo, XR;

BIOLOGY-BASEL

2022-10-01

RAD51 is a druggable target that sustains replication fork progression upon DNA replication stress

Feu, S; Unzueta, F; Ercilla, A; Pérez-Venteo, A; Jaumot, M; Agell, N;

PLOS ONE

2022-08-15

Pyruvate Kinase M1 Suppresses Development and Progression of Prostate Adenocarcinoma

Davidson, SM; Schmidt, DR; Heyman, JE; Brien, JPO; Liu, AC; Israelsen, WJ; Dayton, TL; Sehgal, R; Bronson, RT; Freinkman, E; Mak, HH; Fanelli, GN; Malstrom, S; Bellinger, G; Carracedo, A; Pandolfi, ...

CANCER RESEARCH

2022-07-01

Epigenetic Mechanisms Influencing Therapeutic Response in Breast Cancer

Arruabarrena-Aristorena, A; Toska, E;

FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY

2022-06-14

Methionine Cycle Rewiring by Targeting miR-873-5p Modulates Ammonia Metabolism to Protect the Liver from Acetaminophen

Rodríguez-Agudo, R; Goikoetxea-Usandizaga, N; Serrano-Maciá, M; Fernández-Tussy, P; Fernández-Ramos, D; Lachiondo-Ortega, S; González-Recio, I; Gil-Pitarch, C; Mercado-Gómez, M; Morán, L; Bizkarguenaga, ...

ANTIOXIDANTS

2022-05-01

High SOX9 Maintains Glioma Stem Cell Activity through a Regulatory Loop Involving STAT3 and PML

Aldaz, P; Martín-Martín, N; Saenz-Antoñanzas, A; Carrasco-Garcia, E; Alvarez-Satta, M; Elúa-Pinin, A; Pollard, SM; Lawrie, CH; Moreno-Valladares, M; Samprón, N; Hench, J; Lovell-Badge, R; Carracedo, ...

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES

2022-05-01

Stromal oncostatin M cytokine promotes breast cancer progression by reprogramming the tumor microenvironment

Araujo, AM; Abaurrea, A; Azcoaga, P; Lopez-Velazco, JI; Manzano, S; Rodriguez, J; Rezola, R; Egia-Mendikute, L; Valdés-Mora, F; Flores, JM; Jenkins, L; Pulido, L; Osorio-Querejeta, I; Fernández-Nogueira, ...

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION

2022-04-01

Angiocrine polyamine production regulates adiposity

Monelli, E; Villacampa, P; Zabala-Letona, A; Martinez-Romero, A; Llena, J; Beiroa, D; Gouveia, L; Chivite, I; Zagmutt, S; Gama-Perez, P; Osorio-Conles, O; Muixi, L; Martinez-Gonzalez, A; Castillo, ...

NATURE METABOLISM

2022-03-14

PI3K-regulated Glycine N-methyltransferase is required for the development of prostate cancer

Zabala-Letona, A; Arruabarrena-Aristorena, A; Fernandez-Ruiz, S; Viera, C; Carlevaris, O; Ercilla, A; Mendizabal, I; Martin, T; Macchia, A; Camacho, L; Pujana-Vaquerizo, M; Sanchez-Mosquera, ...

ONCOGENESIS

2022-02-23

Prospects of Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Biomarker Monitoring toward Precision Medicine

Plou, J; Valera, PS; García, I; de Albuquerque, CDL; Carracedo, A; Liz-Marzán, LM;

ACS PHOTONICS

2022-02-16

Implication of Ceramide Kinase/C1P in Cancer Development and Progression

Camacho, L; Ouro, A; Gomez-Larrauri, A; Carracedo, A; Gomez-Munoz, A;

CANCERS

2022-01-01

Identification of proximal SUMO-dependent interactors using SUMO-ID

Barroso-Gomila, O; Trulsson, F; Muratore, V; Canosa, I; Merino-Cacho, L; Cortazar, AR; Pérez, C; Azkargorta, M; Iloro, I; Carracedo, A; Aransay, AM; Elortza, F; Mayor, U; Vertegaal, ACO; Barrio, ...

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS

2021-11-18

Nanocomposite Scaffolds for Monitoring of Drug Diffusion in Three-Dimensional Cell Environments by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Plou, J; Molina-Martínez, B; García-Astrain, C; Langer, J; García, I; Ercilla, A; Perumal, G; Carracedo, A; Liz-Marzán, LM;

NANO LETTERS

2021-10-06

Identification of Androgen Receptor Metabolic Correlome Reveals the Repression of Ceramide Kinase by Androgens

Camacho, L; Zabala-Letona, A; Cortazar, AR; Astobiza, I; Dominguez-Herrera, A; Ercilla, A; Crespo, J; Viera, C; Fernández-Ruiz, S; Martinez-Gonzalez, A; Torrano, V; Martín-Martín, N; Gomez-Muñoz, ...

CANCERS

2021-09-01

LUZP1 Controls Cell Division, Migration and Invasion Through Regulation of the Actin Cytoskeleton

Bozal-Basterra, L; Gonzalez-Santamarta, M; Muratore, V; Martín-Martín, N; Ercilla, A; Rodríguez, JA; Carracedo, A; Sutherland, JD; Barrio, R;

FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY

2021-04-01

Oligometastatic Prostate Adenocarcinoma. Clinical-Pathologic Study of a Histologically Under-Recognized Prostate Cancer

Manini, C; González, A; Büchser, D; García-Olaverri, J; Urresola, A; Ezquerro, A; Fernández, I; Llarena, R; Zabalza, I; Pulido, R; Carracedo, A; Gómez-Iturriaga, A; López, JI;

JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE

2020-12-01