Héctor Peinado Selgas's Biography

Héctor Peinado Selgas, Head of Microenvironment and Metastasis Group, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Weill Medical College of Cornell University

I did my PhD in the laboratory of Dr. Amparo Cano in Madrid (Spain, Biomedical Research Institute “Alberto Sols”) where I specialized in analyzing Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition Mechanisms. In this lab we described the molecular mechanisms of EMT regulated by Snail transcription factor and Lysyl Oxidase 2 (EMBO J (2005) 24:3446-58, Nat. Rev Cancer. (2007). 7:415-28). I defined a role for beta-catenin in regulating cancer stem cell behavior in skin cancer (Nature. (2008) 452:650-3). I joined Dr. Lyden’s laboratory as a postdoctoral associate in 2008 to study the crosstalk between tumor cells and bone marrow derived cells during metastatic progression. During these years I developed my career as an independent researcher with an excellent collaboration with Dr. Lyden. In 2010, was appointed to a Faculty Position in the Department of Pediatrics at WCMC and in 2013 I was promoted to Assistant Professor. My work has recently defined that tumor-secreted exosomes educate bone marrow progenitor cells toward a pro-metastatic phenotype (Nature Medicine. 2012. (18): 883-891.). My current research goals are focused on understanding the crosstalk between the tumor and its microenvironment by exosomes and the development of new diagnostic test to monitor response to therapy.