10/06/2026 - Press release
CONNECTA Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company pioneering first-in-class neuroplasticity modulators to address unmet medical needs in central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced the initiation of its Phase IIa clinical trial evaluating its lead first-in-class program, CTH120, in adult males with fragile X syndrome (FXS). CTH120 is a novel small molecule targeting the tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), a key regulator of neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to form and adapt neural connections. Impaired neuroplasticity is a core pathophysiological feature in neurodevelopmental disorders and contributes to the clinical manifestations observed in conditions such as FXS. FXS is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability, with an estimated prevalence of approximately 3 per 10,000 individuals.
08/06/2026 - Press release
A study led by the Institut de Neurociències of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona suggests that assessing the relationship between two hormones present in both men and women, estradiol and progesterone, could help better understand how memory works. Assessing the relationship between a person's progesterone and estradiol levels at a given moment could help determine when they are in a biologically optimal state for learning and memory. This is the conclusion of a study led by ICREA researcher Raül Andero at the Institut de Neurociències of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (INc-UAB), which found that the ratio between these two sex hormones measured in saliva can predict participants' performance in a learning and memory task.
Més informació "Can memory be predicted with a saliva test?"
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"
05/02/2026 - Press release
A recent study from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute shows that cannabis use is associated with increased brain inflammation, which may affect the therapeutic effectiveness of antipsychotic treatments. The study analysed brain MRI scans from nearly 100 individuals-patients with first-episode psychosis and healthy volunteers-using a novel technique that measures extracellular free water. This is the first study to apply this method to examine the effects of cannabis use in psychosis. The findings are published in Molecular Psychiatry and reinforce recommendations against cannabis use in people with psychotic disorders.
Més informació "Cannabis use may influence treatment mechanisms in first-episode psychosis"
16/10/2025 - Press release
Greater exposure of mothers to airborne particulate matter during pregnancy is linked to lower levels of brain myelination in newborns. This is highlighted by the first study to measure neonatal brain myelination using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Published in the journal Environment International, it is the result of a collaboration between Hospital del Mar and ISGlobal. The research shows that prenatal exposure to fine particles (PM2.5) is associated with slower brain maturation during the first month of life. Myelination is a key marker of brain development.
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"
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.
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"
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.
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