These are the three main research lines in the Sempere Lab and specific projects and question of interest within each research lines. 

Cancer prevention and early detection

Intraductal ablation for primary prevention of breast cancer

• Pre-clinical studies: mouse and rat models for chemical and thermal ablation.
• 3D human models, large animal models and first-in-human trials.

Exosomal microRNA signatures of malignancy in breast cancer

• Pre-clinical trial: serum and tissue correlative studies in patient-derived xenograft models
• Clinical trial: serum and tissue correlative studies.

Diabetes type 3C: cause or consequence of pancreatic cancer

• Pre-clinical studies: monitor diabetes, cancer-induced diabetes in K-Ras driven animal models.
• Clinical trial: non-invasive monitoring of glucose levels in at-risk individual of developing pancreatic cancer for early detection.
  

Integrated and interventional microRNA biomarkers

Cell type-specific roles of microRNAs activity in breast cancer

• Pre-clinical: genetic and pharmacological approaches to study microRNA activity in animal models of triple-negative breast cancer.
• Clinical trial: stromal microRNA expression-driven signature for treatment selection in triple-negative breast cancer cases.

Role of cell type-specific microRNA activity in animal models of pancreatic cancer

• Pre-clinical studies: genetic and pharmacological approaches to study activity of selected microRNAs in K-Ras-driven animals models of pancreatic cancer.
  

Generation of large animal models for cancer and organ transplant research

CRISPR-engineered rat and pig K-Ras driven cancer models

• Conditional Cre/LoxP for inducible cancer in target organ by local delivery of Adeno-Cre (e.g., breast, lung, pancreas, ovary, colon).
• In vivo imaging and monitoring of RNA-based therapeutics.
• Targeted delivery and large scale-enzymatic production of microRNA activity modulators.

CRISPR-engineered mouse and pig host for interspecies blastocyst-stage transplantation/complementation for xenogenic organ production

• Develop genetic tools for dominant master gene promoter- mediated deletion of host cells to enrich donor contribution to parenchyma of targeted organ by blastocyst complementation.
• Develop genetic tools for recessive microRNA regulatory binding-mediated deletion of host stroma to enrich donor contribution to stroma of targeted organ by intrinsic processes of developmental commitment and differentiation.