31/07/2025 - Press release
This is indicated by the results of the PENSA study, a clinical trial conducted jointly by the Research Institute of Hospital del Mar and the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center, the research center of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation. The study concludes that combining a healthy lifestyle program with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a natural compound found in green tea, could offer sustained cognitive benefits in people at high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Over the course of one year, around one hundred cognitively healthy volunteers, but in stages potentially prior to the onset of dementia, were monitored. They were divided into three groups. One group received only healthy lifestyle advice. The other two groups underwent a lifestyle improvement intervention program combined with either EGCG or placebo.
25/07/2025 - Press release
Researchers from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and Yale University, in the United States, have demonstrated how the action of certain genes on precursor cells of brain formation can cause alterations linked to cortical malformations but also to the origin of neuropsychiatric diseases such as autism or bipolar disorder. The study, published in Nature Communications, is the first of its kind. It has been able to simulate the function of a list of nearly 3,000 genes linked to these pathologies during human brain development.
16/07/2025 - Press release
These molecules act as small building blocks that regulate the cellular response by switching certain internal signals on or off. This is the conclusion of an international study led by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, published in the journal Nature Communications. The findings may help develop more precise drugs to treat various diseases more effectively, while avoiding side effects.
Més informació "Amino acids play a key role in how cells respond to drugs"
10/07/2025 - Press release
The journal Cancer Cell has published a study led by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, together with researchers from GEICAM, identifying malignant cells carrying the TIM-3 protein as a central factor in their ability to generate breast cancer metastasis. This molecule allows cancer cells to survive the most critical and challenging stage of metastasis-when they first reach a new organ-by evading immune system attacks. At the same time, it may serve as a marker of poor prognosis and metastasis risk in patients with TIM-3-positive tumors. This discovery opens the door to the potential use of treatments that block TIM-3 to prevent metastasis before it becomes clinically evident.
27/06/2025 - Press release
A study by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, recently published in the journal PNAS, advances our understanding of how the brain makes decisions by participating in the storage of associations between different stimuli. The research has identified the importance of specific brain areas in these processes, particularly the amygdala and its relationship with parts of the cerebral cortex. This finding could lead to new therapeutic approaches for treating mental disorders such as psychosis or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study was conducted on mice, but the researchers believe that the mechanisms involved may be similar in humans.
Més informació "Understanding How the Brain Makes Decisions"
20/06/2025 - Press release
People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) who suffer from sarcopenia, or loss of muscle capacity, have higher levels of a protein called myostatin, which, under normal conditions, helps regulate muscle growth. Elevated levels of this protein trigger a series of reactions in the muscle cells, preventing regeneration and growth after damage, leading to muscle mass loss in these patients. This was revealed by a study from the Hospital del Mar and the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, which opens the door to developing treatments targeted at this protein to reverse this situation.
Més informació "Researchers Discover the Cause of Muscle Loss in Some COPD Patients"
06/06/2025 - Press release
Following a diet based on Mediterranean diet recommendations and engaging in moderate physical activity is associated with a 41% to 59% lower risk of starting antidepressant, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, and antiseizure medications. The study is published in the journal Age and Ageing and is based on data from the PREDIMED study, a clinical trial on the effects of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. The analysis includes data from between 6,000 and 7,000 participants in the study, all older adults at risk for chronic illness.
06/06/25 - Press release
Having high blood levels of a type of molecule, spermidine, before surgery increases the risk of tumor recurrence after surgery by 4.7 times. This risk decreases if spermidine levels in the patient's blood drop after surgery. The study is published in the Annals of Surgery journal and opens the door to determining which individuals are at higher risk, either before entering the operating room or just afterward, in order to offer them complementary or specific treatment.
27/05/2025 - Press release
A joint project between the three research institutions has been selected for funding by the XPRIZE Foundation of the United States. It will receive $250,000 to demonstrate that it is possible to extend human healthy lifespan. The VITA project proposes combining two existing molecules and a multimodal lifestyle intervention to extend quality of life during aging. The team formed by the three institutions now has one year to provide the first preliminary results and move on to a new stage of the awards, where the efficacy of the proposed new therapy will be assessed.
20/05/2025 - Press release
A study from the Hospital del Mar, the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, and the Reference Laboratory of Catalonia validates the effectiveness of combining a molecule, apotransferrin, with existing antibiotics to treat the antibiotic-resistant bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The research, published in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, opens the door to a new strategy for tackling the problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by preventing them from accessing the iron they need to complete their life cycle. The new drug combination enhances the ability of antibiotics. Additionally, apotransferrin is a drug already used in other diseases, which could facilitate its use in bacterial infections.
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