An international study involving researchers from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute reveals a key interaction between two proteins that are fundamental in tumour development. To achieve this, molecular modelling and artificial intelligence techniques were used, revealing for the first time a new structural model that describes a previously unknown cell-signalling mechanism. The research opens the door to designing drugs that act on the interaction between the two proteins, thereby improving current cancer treatments.
Més informació "A new pathway for developing cancer drugs discovered"
12/05/2026 - Press release
In an article published in the journal Neuron, Dr. Rodrigo Quian Quiroga proposes that the way we organize our memories constitutes the mechanism that gives rise to human intelligence. The human brain generates memories from the representation of the stimuli it receives, endowing them with meaning. This is a mechanism of abstraction that does not merely store information. Published scientific evidence indicates that this mechanism is not found in other animal species, suggesting that it is a key element in the construction of our intelligence.
Més informació "The way we remember is the basis of human intelligence"
08/05/2026 - Press release
An international collaborative study, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, highlights the role of immunoglobulin D (IgD) in the processes involved in generating tolerance to antigens and bacteria that live in our body. The study characterizes, for the first time, the cells that produce these antibodies and identifies their point of origin in the tonsils. These results open the door to the possibility of developing drugs and vaccines focused on this type of antibody, both for the treatment of allergies and other diseases linked to inflammation
Més informació "Researchers identify one of the mechanisms that may regulate allergen tolerance"
29/04/2026 - Press release
Evidence indicates that Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) manifests clinically in different ways in men and women. According to a collaborative study led by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, the possible cause is that the mechanisms of this disease differ according to the patient's sex. Several metabolites present in the blood differ between the two groups, which implies that the disease has different mechanisms depending on biological sex. This finding also identifies potential therapeutic targets for addressing personalised treatment according to the patient's sex
Més informació "Study shows that COPD mechanisms differ according to biological sex"
27/04/2026 - Press release
The Spanish Ataxia Telangiectasia Families Association (AEFAT) has signed a two-year collaboration agreement with the Hospital del Mar Research Institute (HMRIB) to promote a study aimed at advancing research into potential treatments for this disease. It is a condition that affects children and adolescents, caused by the mutation of a gene that generates a toxic protein linked to DNA repair.
22/04/2026 - Press release
The project, led by INCLIVA, the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, has developed models based on artificial intelligence and the use of liquid biopsy to molecularly characterize patients with a more aggressive phenotype. It has also been discovered that the tumor microenvironment influences resistance to chemotherapy, opening new avenues for treatments targeting both tumor cells and their surrounding environment. Among its most outstanding results, the project has enabled the development of a relapse prediction system for patients in different scenarios using artificial intelligence and deep learning, which uses models called artificial neural networks inspired by the functioning of the human brain, together with the analysis of visual images of biological tissues observed under the microscope. This helps identify high-risk patients
17/04/2026 - Press release
After more than a decade of research, a new-generation CAR-T therapy developed by VHIO, in collaboration with the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, has been administered to patients for the first time in a phase 1 clinical trial. This breakthrough has been made possible thanks to continued funding from the Spanish Association Against Cancer (Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer), with the support of Ausonia, and from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to the laboratory of Dr Joaquín Arribas at VHIO. This CAR-T combines recognition of the p95HER2 protein, which is specific to one third of HER2+ tumours, with the secretion of a bispecific antibody to activate the immune system and enhance the anti-tumour response in HER2+ solid tumours. The academic phase 1 clinical trial CATHERINE will test this therapy for the first time in patients with solid tumours overexpressing HER2 who have exhausted all therapeutic options and are candidates to receive a cell therapy. The aim is to assess safety and preliminary efficacy. The study, to be carried out at VHIO and Hospital del Mar, is funded by the Spanish Association Against Cancer, with the support of Ausonia and the Carlos III Health Institute.
14/04/2026 - Press release
At present, only around 5% of patients with colon cancer are candidates for immunotherapy. This new biomarker could make it possible to determine more accurately which individuals may receive this treatment with a likelihood of success and expand the number of patients who could benefit from it. The study, led by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and IRB Barcelona, shows that the determination of this protein, CTHRC1, can be used to assess patient prognosis. At the same time, it opens up new avenues to approach this type of tumour. The research team has demonstrated that this biomarker can be detected using routine diagnostic tests in the clinical practice of any Pathology service.
08/04/2026 - Press release
A new study by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and Universitat Ramon Llull establishes for the first time a direct link between good physical fitness and a reduced risk of suffering from more than thirty diseases. The study, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, identifies a causal relationship between a greater genetic predisposition for adequate cardiorespiratory capacity and a lower risk of developing these conditions. The results suggest that increasing aerobic activity may provide protection against various cardiovascular, inflammatory, and other diseases.
Més informació "Being physically fit helps prevent diseases"
10/03/2026 - Press release
The absence of a protein, the kinase IKKα, enables tumor cells to cluster and survive during dissemination. The findings, published in Nature Communications, open the door to new prognostic markers and potential therapeutic strategies. Targeting tumor cell adhesion impairs their ability to migrate and form metastases. The study was conducted using a preclinical mouse model
Més informació "Researchers identify a key mechanism that promotes colorectal cancer metastasis"
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