María Antonia Blasco Marhuenda (born 1965), known as María Blasco, is a Spanish molecular biologist. She is the current director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, CNIO).
Life
Blasco was born in 1965. She obtained her PhD in 1993 for her research at the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (UAM-CSIC), under the supervision of Margarita Salas. That same year, Blasco joined the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York (USA) as a Postdoctoral Fellow under the leadership of Carol W. Greider (who was to win a Nobel Prize in 2009).
In 1997, she returned to Spain to start her own research at the Centro Nacional de Biotecnología in Madrid. She joined the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO) in 2003 as Director of the Molecular Oncology Programme and Leader of the Telomeres and Telomerase Group.
In 2005, she was also assigned as Vice-Director of Basic Research, and, in 2011, she was appointed as CNIO Director.[1][2]
In 2010, Blasco co-founded Life Length, a biotech company, along with entrepreneur Stephen J. Matlin.[3]
Research
Isolation of the core components of mouse telomerase and generation of the first knockout mouse for telomerase;[4]
Generation of the first mouse with increased telomerase expression in adult tissues;[5]
The finding that mammalian telomeres and subtelomeres have epigenetic marks characteristic of constitutive heterochromatin;[6]
Discovery of telomeric RNAs, which are potent telomerase-inhibitors whose expression is altered in cancer;[7]
Demonstration that telomerase activity and telomere length determine the regenerative capacity of adult stem cells;[8]
Identification of the longest telomeres as a universal feature of adult stem cell niches;[9]
The finding that telomerase overexpression in the context of cancer resistant-mice improves organismal fitness, produces a systemic delay in ageing and an extension in median life-span;[10]
Discovery that telomeres rejuvenate after nuclear reprogramming;
Identification of the molecular mechanisms by which short telomeres/DNA damage limit nuclear reprogramming of defective cells;[11]
Discovery that telomeric protein TRF1 can act as both a tumour suppressor and as a factor in ageing prevention.[12]
2003–2011 Director, Molecular Oncology Program (CNIO)
2003–present Head, Telomeres and Telomerase Group (CNIO)
1997–2003 Staff Investigator, National Center of Biotechnology, Madrid, Spain
1993–1996 Postdoctoral Fellow, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, USA. supervisor Dr. Carol. W. Greider
1992–1993 Postoctoral Fellow, Center of Molecular Biology, Madrid, Spain. supervisor Dr. Margarita Salas
1989–1992 Graduate Fellow, Center of Molecular Biology, Madrid, Spain supervisor Dr. Margarita Salas
Honours and awards
2021 - Progressive Women of Retirement Award in its IV edition.
2019 - Optimist Award Committed to Science awarded by the magazine Anoche Tuve un Sueño
2018 - In 2018 it was included in the Periodic Table of Scientists to commemorate in 2019 the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Mendeleev's publication.
2017 - Distinction from the Generalitat Valenciana for Scientific Merit, 14th Balmis Rotary Club Alicante Award,
2016 - Women to Follow Award 2016, in the category Special Award for Excellence in scientific dissemination.
2013 - Fellow of the Royal Academy of Pharmacy of Spain
2012 - Member of the Scientific Board of the AXA Research Fund
2012 - Member of the Scientific Board of the Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR)
2012 - Member of the Board of Trustees and President of the External Advisory Board of the Spanish National Centre for Research on Ageing (CNIE)
^Schoeftner, S.; Blasco, MA (2008). "Developmentally regulated transcription of mammalian telomeres by DNA dependent RNA polymerase II". Nature Cell Biology. 10 (2): 228–236. doi:10.1038/ncb1685. PMID18157120. S2CID5890629.
^Benetti, R.; García-Cao, M.; Blasco, MA (2007). "Telomere length regulates the epigenetic status of mammalian telomeres and subtelomeres". Nature Genetics. 39 (2): 243–250. doi:10.1038/ng1952. PMID17237781. S2CID770312.
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