, 1968) graduated in Medicine from the University of Barcelona

University of Barcelona

The University of Barcelona is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia in Spain. It is a member of the Coimbra Group, LERU, European University Association, Mediterranean Universities Union, International Research Universities Network and Vives Network...

 in 1992, where he also obtained his doctorate, specialising in the molecular genetics

Molecular genetics

Molecular genetics is the field of biology and genetics that studies the structure and function of genes at a molecular level. The field studies how the genes are transferred from generation to generation. Molecular genetics employs the methods of genetics and molecular biology...

 of endometrial carcinoma, in 1996. He was an invited researcher at the School of Biological and Medical Sciences at the University of St Andrews

University of St Andrews

The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, during which time his research interests focused on the molecular genetics of inherited breast cancer.

Esteller works on the field of epigenetics

Epigenetics

In biology, and specifically genetics, epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence – hence the name epi- -genetics...

 in health and disease. Starting from identical genetic sequences, changes in histone

Histone

In biology, histones are highly alkaline proteins found in eukaryotic cell nuclei that package and order the DNA into structural units called nucleosomes. They are the chief protein components of chromatin, acting as spools around which DNA winds, and play a role in gene regulation...

 modifications and DNA methylation

DNA methylation

DNA methylation is a biochemical process that is important for normal development in higher organisms. It involves the addition of a methyl group to the 5 position of the cytosine pyrimidine ring or the number 6 nitrogen of the adenine purine ring...

 can produce organisms with different features and distinct susceptibility to sickness. An example is monozygotic twins. To have a complete picture of what is going on with the epigenetic tapestry of our cells, Esteller has advocated the development of a comprehensive Human Epigenome Project

Human Epigenome Project

Human Epigenome Project is a multinational science project, with the stated aim to "identify, catalog, and interpret genome-wide DNA methylation patterns of all human genes in all major tissues"...

 (HEP) to map all the epigenetic marks in our genetic material. This could have a huge impact in cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

 patients, because we already know that malignant cells have a profound disregulation of DNA methylation and histone modification patterns. The good news is that the first pharmacological compounds to "restore" the normal epigenetic landscapes are starting to emerge.

Manel Esteller is the Director of the Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC) of the Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), Leader of the Cancer Epigenetics Group, Professor of Genetics

Genetics

Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....

 in the School of Medicine of the University of Barcelona, and Research Professor at the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies

Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies

ICREA, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, is a foundation jointly promoted by the Catalan Government through its Ministry of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise, and the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation...

(ICREA).