Spanish National Cancer Research Center
Contact information
- A. Health Biotechnology
- Areas of activity
- Biodrugs
- Biomarkers
- Cell cultures
- Drug discovery
- Screening
- Gene Therapy
- Therapeutic areas
- Oncology
- D. Services
- R&D services
- Bioinformatics
- Pharmacogenomics
- Genomics
- Scientific and technical instruments
- Proteomics
The CNIO (Spanish National Cancer Research Center) is a Spanish public institution dedicated to cancer research, diagnosis, and treatment. It is affiliated with the Carlos III Health Institute (Ministry of Science and Innovation) and employs over 400 highly specialized professionals. Ranked among the top 10 monographic cancer research centers in the world (Scimago Report; Nature Index), the CNIO covers the entire R&D&I spectrum—from basic research to clinical application—ensuring the rapid and efficient transfer of results to the National Health System and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. The CNIO is accredited as a “Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence” in recognition of its international scientific impact, leadership, and active engagement with the social and business community.
The CNIO’s objective is to develop new methods for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. It hosts world-leading research groups and a robust drug discovery program.
The CNIO’s core mission is to conduct excellent research and provide innovative technology in oncology to the National Health System and the National System of Science and Innovation. To this end, the CNIO has established the following strategic goals:
Develop research that leads to new and more effective methods for diagnosing and treating oncological diseases.
Translate scientific knowledge into clinical practice to ensure that scientific advances benefit the healthcare system—and patients—as quickly as possible.
Transfer the technology developed at the CNIO to innovative companies.
Establish a new and more efficient management model within the European scientific context.
The CNIO currently hosts over 20 Research Groups organized across different Scientific Programs, and more than 4 Clinical Research Units within its Clinical Research Program. In addition, researchers are supported by 17 Core Research Units equipped with the most advanced facilities and technical expertise. The CNIO also has an Experimental Therapeutics Program comprising 4 dedicated sections focused exclusively on drug discovery. These units serve not only CNIO staff but also external institutions.
The CNIO has established an extensive network of collaborators at both the national and international levels. While its partners span diverse sectors, it maintains particularly strong relationships with entities in the healthcare sector (including public and private hospitals, National Health System institutions, and research centers), as well as with pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations.
The CNIO is equipped with infrastructures supporting a wide range of research activities—from structural molecular analysis (NMR, X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy) and molecular biology techniques, to cell culture, microscopy (including conventional, fluorescence, confocal), flow cytometry, and state-of-the-art technologies in cytogenetics, genomics, proteomics, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, monoclonal antibody production, and genetically modified mouse models. Its modern medicinal chemistry laboratories support the Experimental Therapeutics Program. The SPF animal facility, one of the largest in Europe, includes robotic cage-washing systems to ensure standardized procedures and features in vivo imaging technologies among other resources. The Biotechnology Program Units ensure that the CNIO remains at the cutting edge of research technology. The Center occupies 32,000 square meters, with over 10,000 square meters dedicated to oncology laboratories, and a 3,000 square meter SPF animal facility.
In terms of equipment, a notable recent acquisition is the NovaSeq X Plus (Illumina) next-generation sequencing platform, the most advanced system of its kind currently available. Operational since October 2023, this platform enables ambitious projects in applied and basic cancer genomics, offering high-throughput exome and whole-genome sequencing. Managed by the Genotyping Unit – CEGEN and the Genomics Unit, this tool will be pivotal to the CNIO’s future research progress.
Training Programs
A major goal of the CNIO is to contribute to both the increase in the number of cancer researchers and the improvement of their qualifications. It offers a wide range of training programs in an open and international environment that fosters dynamic learning. These include training opportunities for undergraduate and vocational students, master’s students, PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and medical residents.
Institutional Relations
The CNIO's active presence in national and international forums for cancer research helps attract scientific talent, secure new sources of funding, and establish academic and industrial collaborations. One of its aims is to maintain a prominent role in such forums and to ensure that its global standing reflects the high quality of its scientific output.
The CNIO’s key priorities in Institutional Relations are:
• Establish strategic national and international collaborations and participate in networks with other centers of excellence.
• Identify and initiate long-term projects in partnership with national and international foundations.
• Take part in national and international forums on academic, scientific policy, and innovation issues, contributing to the setting of research priorities.
• Enhance the CNIO’s institutional profile to attract top scientific talent.
• Strengthen strategic alliances with global companies to promote research.
The CNIO provides innovative technologies to the National Health System and the scientific community:
The Hereditary Cancer area collaborates with hospital services by evaluating and offering genetic counseling to patients and families (through the Familial Cancer Clinical Unit) and conducting genetic studies when a hereditary cancer syndrome is suspected (via the Hereditary Cancer Group and the Endocrine and Hereditary Cancer Group).
The Cytogenetics Service contributes to the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of oncohematological conditions.
The CNIO Biobank supports research by providing access to human samples, which—like molecular diagnostic tools—have become essential resources in oncology.
The Molecular Diagnostics Service offers high-precision diagnostic testing not routinely available in hospitals.
The Human Genotyping Service (CEGEN) provides sample preparation, genotyping, sequencing, epigenomic analysis, data processing, and molecular profiling (including pharmacogenomics and liquid biopsy analyses).
The CNIO also offers high-resolution DNA sequencing services and large-scale analysis of genetic variations that significantly influence an individual's susceptibility to cancer and their response to treatment. The Histopathology Unit provides a wide range of services for both human and murine tissue samples.
The CNIO’s catalogs of high-quality monoclonal antibodies targeting human and/or murine antigens contribute to improving the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of numerous diseases, including cancer. These antibodies, generated in-house, are sold globally and represent one of the CNIO’s largest sources of revenue from commercial sales.
In addition, each of the CNIO’s Programs—Molecular Oncology, Structural Biology, Human Cancer Genetics, Clinical Research, Biotechnology, Experimental Therapeutics, and the Biobank—is supported by multiple Core Research Units, which provide a broad range of specialized services.
Of particular note is the CNIO Biotechnology Program, which integrates the following Core Units: Proteomics Unit, Genomics Unit, Confocal Microscopy Unit, Molecular Imaging Unit, Mouse Genome Editing Unit, Monoclonal Antibodies Unit, Histopathology Unit, Flow Cytometry Unit. These Units provide services to both internal CNIO personnel and external researchers and institutions.
The CNIO (Spanish National Cancer Research Center) focuses its areas of interest on basic, translational, and clinical research, with a strong commitment to technological innovation and impact on medical practice.
The CNIO's interest in establishing future collaborations and partnerships is directed toward the following objectives:
• Contributing to the biomedical ecosystem of both the Community of Madrid and Spain, particularly in the areas of innovation and technology transfer;
• Gaining access to the expertise and know-how of future collaborators in order to enhance the market readiness of CNIO’s technologies, thereby increasing joint collaborations and project development;
• Leveraging the professional networks of potential collaborators;
• Expanding business opportunities by increasing the visibility of CNIO’s projects and services among stakeholders involved in the technology transfer process;
• Strengthening CNIO’s public–private partnerships;
• Establishing closer ties with the Madrid and National Health Systems, including their leadership, management teams, and organizational structures;
• Implementing procedures to improve the management of CNIO’s technologies;
• Securing support from collaborators at all stages of the valuation, transfer, and commercialization processes of CNIO’s technology and service portfolio;
• Accessing sources of funding, investment, and resource mobilization;
• Acquiring specialized technology and knowledge;
• Utilizing tools and expertise to help maximize the return on CNIO’s investment in R&D&I.