10/09/2025 - Press release
Young people beginning university show a much higher prevalence of suicidal thoughts and attempts compared to the general population, according to an international study led by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute. The study, part of the World Mental Health International College Student Initiative led by Harvard University, invited nearly 73,000 students from 71 universities in eighteen countries to participate. It is the most comprehensive study conducted to date on this population. Experiencing traumatic events during childhood and having parents with mental health disorders are the main risk factors for suicidal behavior. In addition, transgender students are 2.4 times more likely to experience suicidal thoughts than other students.
09/09/2025 - Press release
A study published in Science identifies the complementary role of the main families of neurons in representing the environment. The work, coordinated by Dr. Manuel Valero, head of the Neural Computation Laboratory at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, presents an open-access tool to analyze neuronal diversity. The tool is already freely available and can be applied to the study of other brain regions and of diseases such as Alzheimer's, epilepsy, major depression, and Down syndrome, paving the way for more specific therapeutic strategies.
Més informació "An artificial intelligence tool reveals how the brain orients itself in space"
05/08/2025 - Press release
70% of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) cases go undiagnosed. Now, a study led by Hospital del Mar and the Hospital del Mar Research Institute has validated ten metabolites that are altered in patients with this disease. These metabolites can be identified through a simple blood test, which opens the door to their use in future population-based screening for suspected COPD. The study used artificial intelligence tools to determine which of these molecules yielded the most accurate results.
Més informació "Progress Toward a Population Screening Test for COPD"
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.
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