María del Mar Vivanco
mdmvivanco
María del Mar Vivanco
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Cancer Heterogeneity Lab
Orcid: 000-0002-9540-247X
Email: mdmvivanco@cicbiogune.es
Phone: 4210 / 944 061 322
Address: Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, building 801A, Derio (Bizkaia)

María Vivanco graduated from the University of the Basque Country, worked at Sandoz (Basel) and carried out her PhD thesis at EMBL (Heidelberg). After her post-doctoral studies at UCSF (San Francisco), María started her own lab at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, where she identified mammary stem/progenitor cells in the human breast. She has directed her group at CIC bioGUNE since 2005, characterising mammary stem cells and examining their role in resistance to therapy. She is currently studying cancer stem cells as new therapeutic targets. She is on the committee of the European Network for Breast Development and Cancer and has worked with breast cancer charities, including Breakthrough (UK) and Acambi (Spain).

Latest Publications
Resveratrol-Induced Temporal Variation in the Mechanical Properties of MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells Investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy
Iturri, J;Weber, A;Moreno-Cencerrado, A;Vivanco, MD;Benitez, R;Leporatti, S;Toca-Herrera, JL
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
2019-07-01
Wnt-11 as a Potential Prognostic Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Colorectal Cancer
Gorrono-Etxebarria, I;Aguirre, U;Sanchez, S;Gonzalez, N;Escobar, A;Zabalza, I;Quintana, JM;Vivanco, MD;Waxman, J;Kypta, RM
CANCERS
2019-06-26
Chitosan nanogels as nanocarriers of polyoxometalates for breast cancer therapies
Perez-Alvarez, L;Ruiz-Rubio, L;Artetxe, B;Vivanco, MDM;Gutierrez-Zorrilla, JM;Vilas-Vilela, JL
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
2019-06-01
The Tumor Suppressor ING5 Is a Dimeric, Bivalent Recognition Molecule of the Histone H3K4me3 Mark
Ormaza, G;Rodriguez, JA;de Opakua, AI;Merino, N;Villate, M;Gorrono, I;Rabano, M;Palmero, I;Vilaseca, M;Kypta, R;Vivanco, MDM;Rojas, AL;Blanco, FJ
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
2019-05-31
A Sox2-Sox9 signalling axis maintains human breast luminal progenitor and breast cancer stem cells
Domenici, G;Aurrekoetxea-Rodriguez, I;Simoes, BM;Rabano, M;Lee, SY;San Millan, J;Comaills, V;Oliemuller, E;Lopez-Ruiz, JA;Zabalza, I;Howard, BA;Kypta, RM;Vivanco, MD
ONCOGENE
2019-04-25

2018

In Silico Approach for Immunohistochemical Evaluation of a Cytoplasmic Marker in Breast Cancer.
Mazo C1,2,3; Orue-Etxebarria E4; Zabalza I5; Vivanco MDM6; Kypta RM7,8; Beristain A9.
CANCERS
2018-12-15
Laser Surface Microstructuring of a Bio-Resorbable Polymer to Anchor Stem Cells, Control Adipocyte Morphology, and Promote Osteogenesis
Ortiz, R (Ortiz, Rocio); Aurrekoetxea-Rodriguez, I (Aurrekoetxea-Rodriguez, Iskander); Rommel, M (Rommel, Mathias); Quintana, I (Quintana, Iban); Vivanco, MD (Vivanco, Maria dM); Toca-Herrera, ...
POLYMERS
2018-12-01
Protective effect of stromal Dickkopf-3 in prostate cancer: opposing roles for TGFBI and ECM-1
Al Shareef, Z(Al Shareef, Zainab);Kardooni, H(Kardooni, Hoda);Murillo-Garzon, V(Murillo-Garzon, Virginia);Domenici, G(Domenici, Giacomo);Stylianakis, E(Stylianakis, Emmanouil);Steel, JH(Steel, ...
ONCOGENE
2018-09-27
Acquired Resistance of ER-Positive Breast Cancer to Endocrine Treatment Confers an Adaptive Sensitivity to TRAIL through Posttranslational Downregulation of c-FLIP
Piggott, L(Piggott, Luke);Silva, A(Silva, Andreia);Robinson, T(Robinson, Timothy);Santiago-Gomez, A(Santiago-Gomez, Angelica);Simoes, BM(Simoes, Bruno M.);Becker, M(Becker, Michael);Fichtner, ...
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : AN OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH
2018-05-15
Dual Mechanisms of LYN Kinase Dysregulation Drive Aggressive Behavior in Breast Cancer Cells
Tornillo, G(Tornillo, Giusy);Knowlson, C(Knowlson, Catherine);Kendrick, H(Kendrick, Howard);Cooke, J(Cooke, Joe);Mirza, H(Mirza, Hasan);Aurrekoetxea-Rodriguez, I(Aurrekoetxea-Rodriguez, Iskander);Vivanco, ...
CELL REPORTS
2018-01-26

2017

See One, Do One, Teach One: A Practical Course on Methods in Mammary Gland Biology
Jechlinger, M(Jechlinger, Martin);Kendrick, H(Kendrick, Howard);Smalley, M(Smalley, Matthew);Vivanco, MD(Vivanco, Maria dM)
JOURNAL OF MAMMARY GLAND BIOLOGY AND NEOPLASIA
2017-12-01
The ninth ENBDC Weggis meeting: growth and in-depth characterisation of normal and neoplastic breast cells
Wiese, KE(Wiese, Katrin E.);Amante, RJ(Amante, Romain J.);Vivanco, MD(Vivanco, Maria dM.);Bentires-Alj, M(Bentires-Alj, Mohamed);Iggo, RD(Iggo, Richard D.)
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH : BCR
2017-08-22
Nanopatterned polystyrene-b-poly(acrylic acid) surfaces to modulate cell-material interaction
Lizundia, E(Lizundia, Erlantz);Saenz-Perez, M(Saenz-Perez, Miriam);Patrocinio, D(Patrocinio, David);Aurrekoetxea, I(Aurrekoetxea, Iskander);Vivanco, MD(Vivanco, Maria dM);Vilas, JL(Luis Vilas, ...
MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
2017-06-01
MiR-24 induces chemotherapy resistance and hypoxic advantage in breast cancer
Roscigno, G(Roscigno, Giuseppina);Puoti, I(Puoti, Ilaria);Giordano, I(Giordano, Immacolata);Donnarumma, E(Donnarumma, Elvira);Russo, V(Russo, Valentina);Affinito, A(Affinito, Alessandra);Adamo, ...
ONCOTARGET
2017-03-21
Investigating Cell-Substrate and Cell-Cell Interactions by Means of Single-Cell-Probe Force Spectroscopy
Moreno-Cencerrado, A(Moreno-Cencerrado, Alberto);Iturri, J(Iturri, Jagoba);Pecorari, I(Pecorari, Ilaria);Vivanco, MDM(Vivanco, Maria D. M.);Sbaizero, O(Sbaizero, Orfeo);Toca-Herrera, JL(Toca-Herrera, ...
MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE
2017-01-01

2016

Stratification and therapeutic potential of PML in metastatic breast cancer
Martin-Martin, N(Martin-Martin, Natalia);Piva, M(Piva, Marco);Urosevic, J(Urosevic, Jelena);Aldaz, P(Aldaz, Paula);Sutherland, JD(Sutherland, James D.);Fernandez-Ruiz, S(Fernandez-Ruiz, Sonia);Arreal, ...
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
2016-08-01
Neuronal Hyperactivity Disturbs ATP Microgradients, Impairs Microglial Motility, and Reduces Phagocytic Receptor Expression Triggering Apoptosis/Microglial Phagocytosis Uncoupling
Abiega, O(Abiega, Oihane);Beccari, S(Beccari, Sol);Diaz-Aparicio, I(Diaz-Aparicio, Irune);Nadjar, A(Nadjar, Agnes);Laye, S(Laye, Sophie);Leyrolle, Q(Leyrolle, Quentin);Gomez-Nicola, D(Gomez-Nicola, ...
PLOS BIOLOGY
2016-05-01

2015

Distinct breast cancer stem/progenitor cell populations require either HIF1 alpha or loss of PHD3 to expand under hypoxic conditions
Iriondo, O(Iriondo, Oihana);Rabano, M(Rabano, Miriam);Domenici, G(Domenici, Giacomo);Carlevaris, O(Carlevaris, Onintza);Lopez-Ruiz, JA(Antonio Lopez-Ruiz, Jose);Zabalza, I(Zabalza, Ignacio);Berra, ...
ONCOTARGET
2015-10-13
The seventh ENBDC workshop on methods in mammary gland development and cancer
...
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH : BCR
2015-09-02
Brca1 is expressed in human microglia and is dysregulated in human and animal model of ALS
Noristani, HN(Noristani, Harun Najib);Sabourin, JC(Charles Sabourin, Jean);Gerber, YN(Nicolas Gerber, Yannick);Teigell, M(Teigell, Marisa);Sommacal, A(Sommacal, Andreas);Vivanco, MD(dM Vivanco, ...
MOLECULAR NEURODEGENERATION
2015-08-01
Paracrine Met signaling triggers epithelial-mesenchymal transition in mammary luminal progenitors, affecting their fate
Di-Cicco, A(Di-Cicco, Amandine);Petit, V(Petit, Valerie);Chiche, A(Chiche, Aurelie);Bresson, L(Bresson, Laura);Romagnoli, M(Romagnoli, Mathilde);Orian-Rousseau, V(Orian-Rousseau, Veronique);Vivanco, ...
ELIFE
2015-07-13
FACS Sorting Mammary Stem Cells
Iriondo, O(Iriondo, Oihana);Rabano, M(Rabano, Miriam);Vivanco, MDM(Vivanco, Maria D. M.)
METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
2015-01-01
Side Population
Behbod, F (Behbod, Fariba); Vivanco, MDM (Vivanco, Maria D. M.)
MAMMARY STEM CELLS: METHODS AND PROTOCOLS
2015-01-01

2014

Dickkopf-3 alters the morphological response to retinoic acid during neuronal differentiation of human embryonal carcinoma cells.
Jimenez Alfonso, Rocio; Gorrono-Etxebarria, Irantzu; Rabano, Miriam; Vivanco, Maria dM.; Kypta, Robert
DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY
2014-12-01
Ultra-fast laser microprocessing of medical polymers for cell engineering applications.
Ortiz, R.; Moreno-Flores, S.; Quintana, I.; Vivanco, MdM; Sarasua, J. R.; Toca-Herrera, J. L.
MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
2014-04-01
Human mammospheres secrete hormone-regulated active extracellular vesicles.
Gonzalez, Esperanza; Piva, Marco; Rodriguez-Suarez, Eva; Gil, David; Royo, Felix; Elortza, Felix; Falcon-Perez, Juan M.; Vivanco, Maria Dm
PLOS ONE
2014-01-01
Sox2 promotes tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer cells
Piva, Marco; Domenici, Giacomo; Iriondo, Oihana; Rabano, Miriam; Simoes, Bruno M.; Comaills, Valentine; Barredo, Inmaculada; Lopez-Ruiz, Jose A.; Zabalza, Ignacio; Kypta, Robert; Vivanco, Maria ...
EMBO MOLECULAR MEDICINE
2014-01-01

2013

Global dynamics of two-compartment models for cell production systems with regulatory mechanisms
Getto, Philipp; Marciniak-Czochra, Anna; Nakata, Yukihiko; Vivanco, Maria dM.
MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES
2013-10-01
'The charmingest place': non-coding RNA, lineage tracing, tumor heterogeneity, metastasis and metabolism - new methods in mammary gland development and cancer: the fifth ENBDC Workshop
Clarke, Robert B.; Stingl, John; Vivanco, Maria; Bentires-Alj, Mohamed
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH : BCR
2013-07-28

2012

New methods in mammary gland development and cancer: proteomics, epigenetics, symmetric division and metastasis
Bentires-Alj, Mohamed; Glukhova, Marina; Hynes, Nancy; Vivanco, Maria dM
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH : BCR
2012-07-28
Early Functional Deficit and Microglial Disturbances in a Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Gerber, Yannick Nicolas; Sabourin, Jean-Charles; Rabano, Miriam; Vivanco, Maria dM.; Perrin, Florence Evelyne
PLOS ONE
2012-04-25
Homeobox B9 induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-associated radioresistance by accelerating DNA damage responses
Chiba, Naokazu; Comaills, Valentine; Shiotani, Bunsyo; Takahashi, Fumiyuki; Shimada, Toshiyuki; Tajima, Ken; Winokur, Daniel; Hayashida, Tetsu; Willers, Henning; Brachtel, Elena; Vivanco, Maria ...
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
2012-02-21

2011

A MODEL FOR STEM CELL POPULATION DYNAMICS WITH REGULATED MATURATION DELAY
Alarcon, Tomas; Getto, Philipp; Marciniak-Czochra, Anna; Vivanco, Maria D. M.
DISCRETE AND CONTINUOUS DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS
2011-09-01
Cancer stem cells in the human mammary gland and regulation of their differentiation by estrogen
Simoes, Bruno M.; Vivanco, Maria dM
FUTURE ONCOLOGY
2011-08-01
Effects of estrogen on the proportion of stem cells in the breast
Simoes, Bruno M.; Piva, Marco; Iriondo, Oihana; Comaills, Valentine; Lopez-Ruiz, Jose A.; Zabalza, Inaki; Mieza, Jon A.; Acinas, Olga; Vivanco, Maria d. M.
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH AND TREATMENT
2011-08-01
Distinct Roles for Wnt-4 and Wnt-11 During Retinoic Acid-Induced Neuronal Differentiation
Elizalde, Carina; Campa, Victor M.; Caro, Mercedes; Schlangen, Karin; Maria Aransay, Ana; dM Vivanco, Maria; Kypta, Robert M.
STEM CELLS
2011-01-01

2010

Stress relaxation and creep on living cells with the atomic force microscope: a means to calculate elastic moduli and viscosities of cell components
Moreno-Flores, Susana; Benitez, Rafael; Vivanco, Maria dM.; Luis Toca-Herrera, Jose
NANOTECHNOLOGY
2010-11-05
Function Follows Form: Defining Mammary Stem Cells
Vivanco, Maria dM
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
2010-05-12
HOXB9, a gene overexpressed in breast cancer, promotes tumorigenicity and lung metastasis
Hayashida, Tetsu; Takahashi, Fumiyuki; Chiba, Naokazu; Brachtel, Elena; Takahashi, Motomi; Godin-Heymann, Nadia; Gross, Kenneth W.; Vivanco, Maria D. M.; Wijendran, Vasuki; Shioda, Toshihiro; ...
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
2010-01-19
Biomarkers in breast cancer
Vivanco, MD (Vivanco, Maria Dm.)
BIOINFORMATICS METHODS IN CLINICAL RESEARCH
2010-01-01

The Cancer Heterogeneity Lab seeks to understand tumor heterogeneity and use this knowledge to deliver new approaches to treatment of patients. Breast cancer is a particularly heterogeneous disease. The identification and characterization of cells with stem-like properties (cancer stem/progenitor cells, CSCs) in breast cancer has opened new possibilities for anti-cancer therapies. Furthermore, CSCs have been implicated in tumor initiation and resistance to current treatments, including hormone therapy. In addition, characterization of the regulation of normal epithelial cell differentiation is fundamental to understanding breast cancer heterogeneity.

A major objective of the laboratory is to gain further insight into the roles of steroid hormone receptors in normal breast tissue and during breast cancer development. Thus, the influences of hormones, other signaling factors and the microenvironment on breast stem cells and on their transformation into cancer initiating cells are being explored, particularly focusing on their effects during development of resistance to hormone therapy. Recent work from the lab has revealed the role of CSCs in resistance to tamoxifen and has highlighted the molecular heterogeneity observed in response to the cell environment. Presently, studies are in progress to improve further our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms regulating stem and cancer stem cells with the final aims of (1) identifying biomarkers of resistance to therapy and (2) progressing our understanding of breast cancer biology. Recent studies have focused on the transcription factors SOX2 and SOX9, which play key roles in CSCs in many tumor types.

The group also maintains a strong interest in secreted factors whose expression is altered in metastatic and treatment-resistant disease, such as Wnt-11, which is found upregulated in prostate and colorectal cancers. We identified FZD8 as a major Wnt-11 receptor in prostate cancer that integrates Wnt and TGF-beta signals and we have developed Wnt-11 function-blocking antibody nanoparticles, in collaboration with A. Cortajarena at CIC biomaGUNE. In addition, we study Dkk-3, which regulates the tumor microenvironment. We have identified Dkk-3 effectors and are using epigenetic approaches to restore Dkk-3 levels expression in cancer, in collaboration with colleagues at Imperial College London.

Latest Publications

Targeting PML in triple negative breast cancer elicits growth suppression and senescence.

Arreal, Leire; Piva, Marco; Fernandez, Sonia; Revandkar, Ajinkya; Schaub-Clerigue, Ariane; Villanueva, Josep; Zabala-Letona, Amaia; Pujana, Mikel; Astobiza, Ianire; Cortazar, Ana Rosa; Hermanova, ...

Cell death and differentiation

2019-10-01

Resveratrol-Induced Temporal Variation in the Mechanical Properties of MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells Investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy

Iturri, J;Weber, A;Moreno-Cencerrado, A;Vivanco, MD;Benitez, R;Leporatti, S;Toca-Herrera, JL

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES

2019-07-01

Wnt-11 as a Potential Prognostic Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Colorectal Cancer

Gorrono-Etxebarria, I;Aguirre, U;Sanchez, S;Gonzalez, N;Escobar, A;Zabalza, I;Quintana, JM;Vivanco, MD;Waxman, J;Kypta, RM

CANCERS

2019-06-26

Chitosan nanogels as nanocarriers of polyoxometalates for breast cancer therapies

Perez-Alvarez, L;Ruiz-Rubio, L;Artetxe, B;Vivanco, MDM;Gutierrez-Zorrilla, JM;Vilas-Vilela, JL

CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS

2019-06-01

The Tumor Suppressor ING5 Is a Dimeric, Bivalent Recognition Molecule of the Histone H3K4me3 Mark

Ormaza, G;Rodriguez, JA;de Opakua, AI;Merino, N;Villate, M;Gorrono, I;Rabano, M;Palmero, I;Vilaseca, M;Kypta, R;Vivanco, MDM;Rojas, AL;Blanco, FJ

JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

2019-05-31

A Sox2-Sox9 signalling axis maintains human breast luminal progenitor and breast cancer stem cells

Domenici, G;Aurrekoetxea-Rodriguez, I;Simoes, BM;Rabano, M;Lee, SY;San Millan, J;Comaills, V;Oliemuller, E;Lopez-Ruiz, JA;Zabalza, I;Howard, BA;Kypta, RM;Vivanco, MD

Oncogene

2019-04-25

Proteomic Studies Reveal Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 as a Player in Both Neurodevelopment and Synaptic Function

Ramos, A;Rodriguez-Seoane, C;Rosa, I;Gorrono-Etxebarria, I;Alonso, J;Veiga, S;Korth, C;Kypta, RM;Garcia, A;Requena, JR

International journal of molecular sciences

2019-01-01

In Silico Approach for Immunohistochemical Evaluation of a Cytoplasmic Marker in Breast Cancer.

Mazo C1,2,3; Orue-Etxebarria E4; Zabalza I5; Vivanco MDM6; Kypta RM7,8; Beristain A9.

Cancers

2018-12-15

Laser Surface Microstructuring of a Bio-Resorbable Polymer to Anchor Stem Cells, Control Adipocyte Morphology, and Promote Osteogenesis

Ortiz, R (Ortiz, Rocio); Aurrekoetxea-Rodriguez, I (Aurrekoetxea-Rodriguez, Iskander); Rommel, M (Rommel, Mathias); Quintana, I (Quintana, Iban); Vivanco, MD (Vivanco, Maria dM); Toca-Herrera, ...

POLYMERS

2018-12-01

Protective effect of stromal Dickkopf-3 in prostate cancer: opposing roles for TGFBI and ECM-1

Al Shareef, Z(Al Shareef, Zainab);Kardooni, H(Kardooni, Hoda);Murillo-Garzon, V(Murillo-Garzon, Virginia);Domenici, G(Domenici, Giacomo);Stylianakis, E(Stylianakis, Emmanouil);Steel, JH(Steel, ...

Oncogene

2018-09-27