0000-0002-9540-247XMaria dM Vivanco obtained her BSc in Biochemistry from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain. After graduation, she gained practical experience with a brief stay at Sandoz in Basel, Switzerland. She furthered her scientific career by pursuing and completing her PhD in Molecular Biology at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.
Dr. Vivanco joined Prof. Yamamoto's laboratory at UCSF (University of California, San Francisco), USA, supported by grants from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and the Human Frontier Science Program. Following her postdoctoral research, she established her own laboratory at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, focusing on identifying mammary stem/progenitor cells in the human breast.
In 2005, Dr. Vivanco joined CIC bioGUNE as a Group Leader, leading the Cancer Heterogeneity Lab. Her research focuses on characterizing mammary stem cells, exploring the involvement of cancer stem cells in therapy resistance, and identifying them as potential targets for breast cancer treatments. The laboratory's mission is to decipher tumor heterogeneity and translate these insights into innovative patient treatment strategies.
Awards & recognitions
Her predoctoral and postdoctoral studies were funded with the following fellowships: Human Frontier Science Program postdoctoral fellowship, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation postdoctoral fellowship, EMBO postdoctoral fellowship and EMBO predoctoral fellowship.
Latest Publications
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
Cancer is a complex disease with a massive impact on society. Breast cancer has the highest incidence in women worldwide, with over 2.3 million newly diagnosed cases each year. This is growing because of lifestyle changes and an ageing population. Despite advances in our knowledge of its biology and a wide spectrum of treatments, it also remains the leading cause of cancer death in women. Like breast cancer, prostate cancer is a hormone-dependent cancer that, despite new treatments, continues to be a leading cause of death in men.
To improve this situation, it is essential to consider the complexity of cancer. Cancers display heterogeneity, both inter-patient (diversity among tumours from different patients) and intra-tumour (complexity within each tumour), presenting a challenge for clinical management.
The Cancer Heterogeneity Lab seeks to understand tumour heterogeneity and use this knowledge to deliver new approaches to treatment of patients.
Research line 1: Breast cancer heterogeneity
Breast cancer is a particularly heterogeneous disease. The identification and characterisation 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 tumour initiation and resistance to current treatments, including hormone therapy. In addition, characterisation of the regulation of normal epithelial cell differentiation is fundamental to understanding breast cancer heterogeneity.
Recent work from the lab has revealed the role of CSCs in resistance to tamoxifen, the roles of the transcription factors SOX2 and SOX9 and the effects of the cell environment on molecular plasticity. Current studies aim to improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating stem and cancer stem cells with the dual goals of (1) identifying biomarkers of resistance to therapy and (2) finding novel approaches to target tumour plasticity.
Research line 2: Wnt signalling
Our group is interested in secreted factors whose expression is altered in metastatic and treatment-resistant disease. One of these is Wnt-11, expression of which is particularly high in some advanced prostate and colorectal cancers. We are using antibodies and antibody nanoparticles to target Wnt-11 and its receptor FZD8, as potential new treatments for patients with treatment-resistant and metastatic disease. In addition, we study Dkk-3, a secreted protein that regulates the tumour microenvironment and can inhibit prostate tumour metastasis.
Collaborations
For developing the breast cancer project we are collaborating with Juan Manuel Gutierrez Zorrilla (University of the Basque Country, Leioa), Ivan Macias (Vicomtech, San Sebastian), the Spanish network of nuclear receptors Nurcamein (https://www.ub.edu/nurcamein/es) and various interdisciplinary partners that are part of two different European consortia: BOTS, including Richard Iggo and Marie-Christine Durrieu (University of Bordeaux), Susana Fernandes (University of Pau, France), Fernando Schmitt (University of Porto, Portugal), Leonie Young (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin) and the Staff-Exchanges Project CARES coordinated by Vivanco (https://www.cares-eu.org), including Martin Götte (University of Münster, Germany), Valerio Izzi (University of Oulu, Finland), Nikos Karamanos (University of Patras, Greece), Alberto Passi (University of Insubria, Italy), Patricia Rousselle (University of Lyon, France), Jose Luis Toca-Herrera (BOKU, Vienna), as well as two SMEs, Serend-IP (Germany) and Probiont (Finland).
For the Wnt project, with Konstantin Stoletov and John D. Lewis (University of Alberta, Canada), Alexandra Porter and Fang Xie (Imperial College London), Andrew Silver (Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, London), Aitziber Cortajarena, Jesus Ruiz-Cabello and Susana Carregal Romero (CIC biomaGUNE, San Sebastian), Malin Åkerfelt (Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland) and Joana Márquez-Clavijo (University of the Basque Country, Leioa)
Links
Spanish network of nuclear receptors Nurcamein: https://www.ub.edu/nurcamein/es
Staff-Exchanges Project CARES coordinated by Dr. Vivanco: https://www.cares-eu.org
BOTS, Interreg Atlantic Area: https://www.atlanticarea.eu/discover-our-projects/approved-projects/bots
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Robert Kypta
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER -
Giuliana Siragusa
TECHNICIANS / DOCTORAL CANDIDATES -
Niels Nicolaas Marinus Petrus Meesters
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Miriam Rábano
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Irantzu Gorroño
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Virginia Gamboa Aldecoa
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Lorena Fernández de Larrea González
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Uxue Mata Salcedo
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Ignacio Pachón Bermúdez
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Víctor Manuel Barrios Álvarez
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Connor Benjamin Parry
Members
Associate Principal InvestigatorLatest Publications
Extracellular matrix matters: matrix-based bioscaffolds in advancing translational cancer research and targeted therapy
Karamanos, NK; Piperigkou, Z; Gourdoupi, C; Mangani, S; Vivanco, MD;
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
2025-06-04
Deep Learning-Based Classification of SOX2 Expression in Breast Cancer
Perez-Herrera, LV; García-González, MJ; Vivanco, MD; Oliver, IM; Lopez-Linares, K; Chen, YW; Tanaka, S; Howlett, RJ; Jain, LC;
INNOVATION IN MEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE, KES-INMED 2024
2025-01-01
Polyoxometalate inhibition of SOX2-mediated tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer
Aurrekoetxea-Rodriguez, I; Lee, SY; Rábano, M; Gris-Cárdenas, I; Gamboa-Aldecoa, V; Gorroño, I; Ramella-Gal, I; Parry, C; Kypta, RM; Artetxe, B; Gutierrez-Zorrilla, JM; Vivanco, MD;
CELL COMMUNICATION AND SIGNALING
2024-09-02
Crystal-to-crystal polymerisation of monosubstituted [PW11O39Cu(H2O)]5- Keggin-type anions
Ruiz-Bilbao, E; Pache, A; Barrenechea, U; Reinoso, S; San Felices, L; Vivanco, MD; Lezama, L; Artetxe, B; Gutierrez-Zorrilla, JM;
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
2024-05-10
Breast cancer: Prognostic value of "TN" status versus tumor gene expression profile
Arana, JAM; Estévez, IZ; Ruiz, JAL; Ruiz, MDV; Maseda, AL;
REVISTA DE SENOLOGIA Y PATOLOGIA MAMARIA
2024-04-09
The impact of glycosylation on the structure, function, and interactions of CD14
Quintana, JI; Delgado, S; Rábano, M; Azkargorta, M; Florencio-Zabaleta, M; Unione, L; Vivanco, MD; Elortza, F; Jiménez-Barbero, J; Ardá, A;
GLYCOBIOLOGY
2024-01-16
A Novel Mathematical Approach for Analysis of Integrated CellePatient Data Uncovers a 6-Gene Signature Linked to Endocrine Therapy Resistance
Parga-Pazos, M; Cusimano, N; Rábano, M; Akhmatskaya, E; Vivanco, MD;
LABORATORY INVESTIGATION
2023-11-29
Imagine beyond: recent breakthroughs and next challenges in mammary gland biology and breast cancer research
van Amerongen, R; Bentires-Alj, M; van Boxtel, AL; Clarke, RB; Fre, S; Suarez, EG; Iggo, R; Jechlinger, M; Jonkers, J; Mikkola, ML; Koledova, ZS; Sorlie, T; Vivanco, MD;
JOURNAL OF MAMMARY GLAND BIOLOGY AND NEOPLASIA
2023-12-01
Characterization of Breast Cancer Aggressiveness by Cell Mechanics
Zbiral, B; Weber, A; Vivanco, MD; Toca-Herrera, JL;
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
2023-08-01
Measuring (biological) materials mechanics with atomic force microscopy. 5. Traction force microscopy (cell traction forces)
Gil-Redondo, JC; Weber, A; Vivanco, MD; Toca-Herrera, JL;
MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE
2023-06-22
Application of self-organizing maps to AFM-based viscoelastic characterization of breast cancer cell mechanics
Weber, A; Vivanco, MDM; Toca-Herrera, JL;
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
2023-02-22
Intravital imaging of Wnt/?-catenin and ATF2-dependent signalling pathways during tumour cell invasion and metastasis
Stoletov, K; Sanchez, S; Gorroño, I; Rabano, M; Vivanco, MDM; Kypta, R; Lewis, JD;
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
2023-02-01
Comparison of Genomic Profiling Data with Clinical Parameters: Implications for Breast Cancer Prognosis
López-Ruiz, JA; Mieza, JA; Zabalza, I; Vivanco, MDM;
CANCERS
2022-09-01
Involvement of the PI3K/AKT Intracellular Signaling Pathway in the AntiCancer Activity of Hydroxytyrosol, a Polyphenol from Olea europaea, in Hematological Cells and Implication of HSP60 Levels in Its Anti-Inflammatory Activity
Parra-Perez, AM; Pérez-Jiménez, A; Gris-Cárdenas, I; Bonel-Pérez, GC; Carrasco-Díaz, LM; Mokhtari, K; García-Salguero, L; Lupiáñez, JA; Rufino-Palomares, EE;
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
2022-07-01
Substrate stiffness modulates the viscoelastic properties of MCF-7 cells
Gil-Redondo, JC; Weber, A; Zbiral, B; Vivanco, MD; Toca-Herrera, JL;
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
2021-11-23
Single-Crystal-to-Single-Crystal Cluster Transformation in a Microporous Molybdoarsenate(V)-Metalorganic Framework
Dissem, N; Artetxe, B; San Felices, L; Beobide, G; Castillo, O; Ruiz-Bilbao, E; Lezama, L; Vivanco, MD; Haddad, A; Gutiérrez-Zorrilla, JM;
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
2021-09-21
Nuclear receptors: Lipid and hormone sensors with essential roles in the control of cancer development
Font-Díaz, J; Jiménez-Panizo, A; Caelles, C; Vivanco, MD; Pérez, P; Aranda, A; Estébanez-Perpiñá, E; Castrillo, A; Ricote, M; Valledor, AF;
SEMINARS IN CANCER BIOLOGY
2021-06-10
Estrogen Modulates Epithelial Breast Cancer Cell Mechanics and Cell-to-Cell Contacts
Zbiral, B; Weber, A; Iturri, J; Vivanco, MDM; Toca-Herrera, JL;
MATERIALS
2021-06-01
SOX11 promotes epithelial/mesenchymal hybrid state and alters tropism of invasive breast cancer cells
Oliemuller, E; Newman, R; Tsang, SM; Foe, S; Muirhead, G; Noor, F; Haider, S; Aurrekoetxea-Rodriguez, I; Vivanco, MD; Howard, BA;
ELIFE
2020-09-10
OMTX705, a Novel FAP-Targeting ADC Demonstrates Activity in Chemotherapy and Pembrolizumab-Resistant Solid Tumor Models
Fabre, M; Ferrer, C; Domínguez-Hormaetxe, S; Bockorny, B; Murias, L; Seifert, O; Eisler, SA; Kontermann, RE; Pfizenmaier, K; Lee, SY; Vivanco, MD; López-Casas, PP; Perea, S; Abbas, M; Richter, ...
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
2020-07-01