
RESEARCH
Dr. Luis Madero
leads cancer research at
Children’s University Hospital “Niño Jesús”, Madrid
University Hospital “Niño Jesús” is a national and international reference center for the diagnosis and treatment of children with cancer. Some of the research areas include childhood leukemia, cell and oncolytic immunotherapy for metastatic or refractory pediatric tumors, physical exercise in children with cancer, cell therapy with mesenchymal cells, and the development of new targeted therapies.
These translational research projects are funded by competitive national and international grants. Over the last ten years, a steady level of scientific output and funding has been maintained.


RESEARCH
AND CHILDHOOD
LEUKEMIA
RESEARCH
AREAS
NEW THERAPIES FOR PEDIATRIC SOLID TUMORS
- Cell-delivered oncolytic gene therapy (1)
- Clinical trial to study a novel oncolytic cell therapy for metastatic or refractory pediatric tumors
- Clinical trial to study the feasibility of combining oncolytic virus therapy with standard treatment in children and adolescents with metastatic sarcoma (1)
- Clinical trial to study the use of ICOVIR-5 in refractory central nervous system tumors
TUMOR STEM CELLS IN PEDIATRIC SARCOMA
- Origin of pediatric bone tumors
- Cell subpopulation dynamics in pediatric sarcoma
Peripheral blood human mesenchymal stem cells: Mobilization, isolation and novel biomarkers.
Funding: “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias”. File Nr. FIS PI052217
Role: Sub-investigator
Date: 2006-2008
Diagnosis of meningeal infiltration in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
- Funding: “Inocente” Foundation
- Role: Principal investigator
- Date: 2007-2009
Fancogene: Use of molecular biology to develop more efficient diagnostic and therapeutic tools for patients with Fanconi anemia/BRCA genomes.
- Funding: “Genoma” Foundation
- Role: Principal investigator
- Date: 2007-2010
Celyvir: Oncolytic cell therapy for metastatic neuroblastoma.
- Funding: “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias”. File Nr. ECO7/90591
- Role: Sub-investigator
- Date: 2008-2010
ICOVIR-5 in the treatment of relapsed or refractory pediatric central nervous system tumors
- Funding: “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias”. File Nr. ECO8/00094
- Role: Principal investigator
- Date: 2009-2011
Production and differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) of patients with genetic diseases of the immune-hematopoietic system
- Funding: “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación”. File Nr. PLE 2009-0100.
- Role: Sub-investigator
- Date: 2010-2012
Diagnosis of meningeal infiltration in children with central nervous system tumors
- Funding: “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias”. File Nr. PI 10/02811.
- Role: Principal investigator
- Date: 2010-2012
Making medicines out of stem cells: Allogenic ACS and bioengineering for clinical use
- Funding: “Ministerio de Ciencias e Innovación”
- Role: Sub-investigator
- Date: 2010-2012
Identifying and validating biomarkers for relapsed childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
- Funding: “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias.” File Nr. PI13/02475.
- Role: Principal investigator
- Date: 2014-2016.
Development of novel targeted therapies for neuroblastoma.
- Funding: “Inocente” Foundation
- Role: Sub-investigator
- Date: 2015-2016.
RESEARCH
PROJECTS
CLINICAL
TRIALS
LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA
Drug name: CARFILZOMIB
Mechanism of action: Proteasome inhibitor
Trial phase: I-II
Study population: Patients with relapsed precursor B-cell and T-cell ALL, and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma
Nr.: 2014-001633-84
Drug name: IBRUTINIB
Mechanism of action: Tyrosine-kinase inhibitor
Trial phase: II
Study population: Mature B-cell lymphoma at first relapse, in combination with “RICE” chemotherapy
Nr.: 2016-000259-28
Drug name: NIVOLUMAB + BRENTUXIMAB
Mechanism of action: anti-PD1 and anti-CD34
Trial phase: II
Study population: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma at first relpase
Nr.: 02927769
Drug name: BLINATUMOMAB
Mechanism of action: Anti-CD19
Trial phase: III
Study population: Precursor B-cell ALL at first high-risk relapse
Nr.: 2014-002476-92
SOLID TUMORS
Drug name: REGORAFENIB
Mechanism of action: Multi tyrosine-kinase inhibitor + Vincristine and Irinotecan
Trial phase: I
Study population: Relapsed/refractory solid tumors
Nr.: 2013-003579-36
Drug name: T-VEC
Mechanism of action: Oncolytic virus
Trial phase: I
Study population: Relapsed/refractory extracranial solid tumors, accessible for direct therapeutic injection
Nr.: 2015-003645-25
Drug name: DABRAFENIB
Mechanism of action: BRAF inhibitor
Trial phase: I-II
Study population: Relapsed/refractory high grade glioma, melanoma or thyroid cancer
Nr.: 2012-001499-12
Drug name: COBIMETINIB
Mechanism of action: MEK inhibitor
Trial phase: I-II
Study population: Relapsed or refractory solid tumors (glioma, DIPG, rhabdomyosarcoma, neuroblastoma, melanoma, rhabdoid tumors, NF-1 linked tumors and other tumors with RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK activity).
Nr.: 2014-004685-25
Drug name: ABRAXANE
Mechanism of action: Nab-paclitaxel
Trial phase: II
Study population:
First cohort: Relapsed/refractory desmoid tumors
Second cohort: Relapsed/refractory Ewing sarcoma
Relpased/refractory desmoplastic small-round-cell tumors
Nr.: 2013-000144-26
Drug name: PAZOPANIB
Mechanism of action: VEGF inhibitor
Trial phase: II
Study population: Refractory solid tumors (rhabdomyosarcoma, non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcoma, Ewing/PNET sarcoma, osteosarcoma, neuroblastoma, hepatoblastoma)
Nr.: 2013-003595-12
Drug name: BEACON
Mechanism of action: VEGFR inhibitor +/-:
Temozolomide
Irinotecan-temozolomide
Topotecan-temozolomide
Trial phase: II
Study population: Relapsed/refractory neuroblastoma
Nr.: 2012-000072-42
Drug name: LENVATINIB
Mechanism of action: VEGFR inhibitor as single treatment or in combination with ifosfamide + etoposide
Trial phase: I-II
Study population: Relapsed/refractory osteosarcoma and differentiated thyroid cancer
Nr.: 2013-005534-38
Drug name: NIVOLUMAB +/- IPILIMUMAB
Mechanism of action: Anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy
Trial phase: II
Study population: CNS tumors (DIPG, medulloblastoma, ependymoma, high grade glioma and other high grade CNS tumors)
Nr.: 2016-004441-82
Drug name: POMALIDOMIDE
Mechanism of action: Immunomodulation and anti-angiogenesis
Trial phase: II
Study population: Pediatric patients with CNS tumors (DIPG, medulloblastoma, ependymoma and high grade glioma)
Nr.: 2016-002903-25
Drug name: M14-483 EGFR ANTIBODY DRUG CONJUGATE ABVIE
Mechanism of action: EGFR inhibitor
Trial phase: II
Study population: CNS tumors with EGFR amplification (high grade glioma, DIPG); single therapy or in combination with temozolomide.
Nr.: 2014-004438-24