23/09/2025 - General information
The "la Caixa" Foundation has announced the results of the 2025 CaixaImpulse call, which supports 31 biomedical projects from research centers, hospitals, and universities in Spain and Portugal. Among them is the project led by Dr. Aura Muntasell, aimed at developing a ready-to-use cell therapy to more effectively combat cancer.
Following evaluation by a panel of six international experts, 31 projects were selected out of more than 400 applications. In total, the foundation will allocate €3.8 million to this initiative, which seeks to accelerate the translation of biomedical innovations into the market and bring them closer to patients in need.
One of the selected projects is coordinated by Dr. Aura Muntasell, researcher at the Cancer Molecular Therapy Group of the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), and professor in the Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology at UAB. Her team's work focuses on harnessing the potential of natural killer (NK) cells. They have shown that, with a simple modification, these cells can also target solid tumors such as colon and breast cancer. The goal is to translate this discovery into a safe and effective treatment that clinicians can administer to cancer patients.
Training and expert guidance for projects
CaixaImpulse supports biomedical innovation and transfer projects, helping researchers validate their assets, define exploitation strategies, and bring research results closer to the market. In addition to financial support, participating researchers benefit from mentoring, consultancy, and guidance from international experts across the innovation ecosystem.
Launched in 2015, the CaixaImpulse program has since invested €28.8 million in 263 projects, leading to the creation of 54 spin-off companies. These ventures have subsequently attracted over €180 million in additional funding from competitive calls and private investors.
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