José Antonio López Guerrero, a graduate in Biological Sciences, dedicated his doctoral thesis to the gut microbiota 28 years ago and, since then, has worked as a researcher for the Valencian Institute of Oncology (IVO) Foundation, where he serves as head of the Molecular Biology Laboratory in Valencia.

But he is also from Alcoy and every year, during the San Jorge festivities, he directs the Trobada d’Investigadors i Investigadores en Càncer – Ciutat d’Alcoi (Meeting of Cancer Researchers – City of Alcoy), a meeting place where science advances, connects, and transforms. Under the motto ‘Science in Motion,’ this edition aims to highlight dynamic cancer research, capable of bridging the gap between the laboratory and clinical practice, between scientific knowledge and society, and between biomedical evidence and healthy lifestyle habits.

Alcoy, a city renowned for its bridges, thus becomes a perfect symbol of translational research: structures that connect different shores, allow the flow of knowledge, and facilitate the dissemination of scientific advances to people. Similarly, cancer research today needs, more than ever, solid bridges between disciplines, professionals, and areas of expertise. This 10th Meeting will be dedicated to exploring the role of physical exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle not only as key elements of general well-being, but also as fundamental tools in the prevention, treatment, and recovery from cancer. The scientific evidence accumulated in recent years shows that these factors interact in complex ways with the biological processes of cancer, opening new opportunities for integrated and personalized therapeutic strategies.
“We must consider and care for the microbiota as just another organ of the body,” states López Guerrero, “because it plays an essential role in cancer and other pathologies.”

The meeting is sponsored by +QUEUnTrail, a high-mountain sports team that organizes 15, 25, and 55-kilometer trail runs. The longest is called the Solidarity Trail because it is run by teams of four and the final time is recorded by the last member of the group to cross the finish line. Thus, the members of each team must collaborate with each other so that no one falls behind.

The sports club has been so successful that it generates significant income and, as a non-profit organization, dedicates its surplus to research meetings. It also funds a one-year grant for a young researcher selected by the Spanish Association for Cancer Research (ASEICA), a scientific society that brings together more than 1,700 leading cancer researchers and is also involved in the scientific meeting.

“There is increasing clinical evidence of the direct relationship between a healthy lifestyle, exercise, and a healthy diet with both the prevention and treatment of cancer,” explains López Guerrero. “A sedentary lifestyle should be avoided, and after receiving treatment, active patients feel that they are participating in their recovery, that they are working for their health and not merely receiving medication, and that is very important.”

The meeting takes place on April 22 and 23, the main days of the festivities that fill Alcoy to capacity. But López Guerrero assures that this is not a problem: “The atmosphere is very good because visitors feel very welcome, and that fosters communication and exchange.” The essential features of the scientific meeting hosted by the Comtat capital.