This morning in Mollerussa, the Catalan sommelier Xavi Ayala, is presenting the charity organisation "Vi per Vida" (Wine for Life), which seeks to support research into metastasis and to make the general public aware of the value of research. The first event organised by the charity will be the "I Tast Solidari Vi per Vida" (I Wine for Life Charity Tasting) for 500 people, which will be held on Saturday 31 May, World No Tobacco Day, in the 11 de Setembre"Sports Pavilion in Mollerussa. IRB will be the beneficiary of the donations collected in the "I Tast Solidari Vi per Vida". This centre develops projects endorsed by Joan Massagué, an international expert on metastasis and co-founder of IRB, together with Joan Guinovart, the director of the institute.

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The press presentation will also include the participation of representatives from organisations that are supporting the initiative: the Mayor of Mollerussa, Marc Solsona; the director of INCAVI, Jordi Bort; and Elena Sancho, researcher devoted to studying metastasis at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona.

For only 5 euros–the smallest donation requested–the 500 participants, guided by Xavi Ayala, will taste seven wines, one from each of the subregions of “DO Costers del Segre” (Designation of Origin “Costers del Segre”). Reservations to participate in the event can be made through the blog Vi per Vida (http://vipervida.blogspot.com.es/) and donations will be collected on the day. Those unable to attend the tasting session but who wish to collaborate in the campaign can give donations through the “Vi per Vida” blog. They will enter a draw for three cases of wines classified as “DO Costers del Segre” that will be tasted on 31 May.

The Ayala – Cots family is behind the charity “Vi per Vida”. Twenty-three years ago, Xavier Ayala’s father, Josep Ayala, died from metastasis, caused by lung cancer produced as a result of smoking. Born in Mollerussa, Xavier Ayala set up the “Escola d’Hosteleria de Lleida” and in his professional career he has worked in the “Restaurant Ambrosia” in Lleida, the “Hotel Mas de Torrent” in the Costa Brava, “el Celler de Can Roca” in Girona, the “Restaurant Moo”, and the “Bar à Vins” in Barcelona. Thirty-four-year-old Ayala has chaired the Catalan Association of Sommeliers and he teaches at one of the main sommelier schools in the country.

Research into metastasis at IRB covers pioneering aspects in international research. Studies are being performed on tumour stem cells–cells with the capacity to initiate metastasis, on the capacities that tumour cells acquire and require to facilitate metastasis to specific organs, and on the communication between tumour cells and the tumour environment that facilitates their survival and later growth in a different organ to that in which the tumour originally formed.

At the end of February, Joan Massagué–in a study in his lab at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, in New York–identified some of the genes and mechanisms that regulate metastasis of tumour cells of breast and lung cancer to other organs, mainly the brain. This discovery opens up new avenues of research to tackle metastasis. The spread of tumour cells from the primary tumour to distant organs is the main challenge facing oncologists, since this dissemination of these cells causes around 90% of deaths by cancer.

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