16/05/2025 - Press release
Researchers from the Stem Cells and Cancer team at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute and the Hospital del Mar Research Institute have developed a method to confidently produce blood cell precursors from stem cells in mice, by activating a set of seven key genes in the laboratory. The team, led by Dr. Anna Bigas, takes a step forward towards the production of precursor cells able to restore the bone marrow of blood cancer patients, in a successful example of regenerative medicine.
25/04/2025 - General information
Dr. Anna Bigas, coordinator of the Stem Cells and Cancer Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, has been appointed Visiting Professor at Åbo Akademi University in Turku, Finland. Her appointment aims to strengthen the InFLAMES project, a joint initiative between Åbo Akademi and the University of Turku. Dr. Bigas focuses part of her research on generating blood stem cells in the lab, as well as understanding chemotherapy resistance mechanisms in acute leukemias. With her incorporation into Åbo Akademi University, the institution seeks to boost its research capabilities in the field of hematopoietic stem cells and blood-related disorders.
Més informació "Finnish Åbo Akademi University appoints Dr. Anna Bigas as Visiting Professor"
15/04/2025 - Press release
A study by researchers from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, IIBB-CSIC-IDIBAPS, Mayo Clinic, IBYME (CONICET), and CaixaResearch Institute demonstrates the role of the Galectin-1 protein in the nucleus of the cells surrounding the tumor-fibroblasts-contributing to their activation. Activated fibroblasts promote tumor growth and spread, while also conferring resistance to treatments. This may be one of the reasons behind the high aggressiveness of pancreatic cancer, which has a five-year survival rate of only 10%. The study's findings open the door to new therapeutic strategies against this type of cancer, focusing on the possibility of inhibiting this protein within the cells that surround and protect the tumor.
Més informació "Key to the high aggressiveness of pancreatic cancer identified"
11/04/25 - Institutional news
Dr. Jenniffer Linares, a researcher with the Colorectal Cancer Precision Medicine Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, has received the CRIS Program for Translational Medical Talent, awarded by the CRIS Against Cancer Foundation. A total of 11 million euros in funding has been granted through the CRIS Research Programs 2024, with the aim of promoting cancer research that places the patient at the center of scientific advancement. The awarded project, "Uncovering the Clinical Impact of Stromal-Derived Mechanisms of Resistance to Anti-EGFR Therapy in Colorectal Cancer," seeks to understand the mechanisms of resistance to anti-EGFR therapies derived from the tumor microenvironment in patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer. The goal is to identify predictive markers and develop new therapeutic strategies to overcome these mechanisms. The project will receive funding of 400,000 euros.
Més informació "CRIS Against Cancer Awards Dr. Jenniffer Linares"
24/03/2025 - Press release
The genetic modification of the Natural Killer (NK) cells, lymphocytes forming part of the body's immune system, would make it possible to retain their capacity of eliminating tumour cells in solid tumours. Some types of tumours secrete two molecules, TGF-β and Activin A, which supress the capacity of NK cells to attack them. A team of researchers from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Pompeu Fabra University has developed a new tool that allows modifying these NK cells to make them immune to the tumour's defense mechanism.
Més informació "New tool to boost cancer immunotherapy effects"
06/02/2025 - Press release
The Micro Immune Response On chip (MIRO) allows tumours and their environment to be replicated in order to understand their response to treatment. The device, which has already been successfully tested on breast cancer samples, could be key to developing new treatments and determining the most appropriate therapy for each patient in a personalized way. The work, published in Nature Communications, is the result of a collaboration between the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia and the Research Institute of the Hospital del Mar.
23/12/2024 - Institutional news
The Digestive Tumor Treatment Group (TTD) has awarded one of its grants for research projects on digestive tumors to Dr. Jenniffer Linares, a researcher from the Colorectal Cancer Precision Medicine Research Group, led by Dr. Clara Montagut at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute. The award ceremony took place during the 32nd TTD International Symposium on Advances in Digestive Tumor Treatments. The grant is for the project titled "Clinical impact of CAF-secreted biomarkers in RAS wild-type metastatic CRC patients treated within the CR-SEQUENCE clinical trial." Its goal is to identify the predictive value of biomarkers derived from the tumor microenvironment to anticipate the response to chemotherapy and anti-EGFR treatments in patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer.
Més informació "Grant from the Digestive Tumor Treatment Group for Dr. Jenniffer Linares"
12/12/2024 - General information
The SAGITTARIUS clinical trial has officially begun with the inclusion of the first six patients in the project. Among them, the first at the Hospital del Mar, a collaborating center in the study, which is coordinated in Spain by Dr. Clara Montagut, head of the Gastrointestinal Tumors section of the Medical Oncology Service and coordinator of the Colorectal Cancer Precision Medicine Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute.
Més informació "The SAGITTARIUS clinical trial, led by the Hospital del Mar in Spain, gets underway"
18/11/2024 - Press release
The p95HER2 protein is found expressed in one third of HER2+ tumors, which represent 4% of all tumors. Led by VHIO investigators, CAR T cells targeting p95HER2 have been engineered to secrete the TECH2Me bispecific antibody. Both therapies specifically and independently recognize tumor cells. In addition, the TECH2Me bispecific antibody activates immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. This dual mechanism of action has demonstrated safety and achieved complete and durable antitumor responses in patient-derived models of HER2+ p95HER2-expressing solid tumors. Published in Nature Communications, results of this VHIO-led study have provided the rationale for the application of a phase 1 first-in-human clinical trial, currently in the approval process, to assess this novel therapeutic strategy in patients with HER2-driven solid tumors.
13/11/2024 - General information
The "la Caixa" Foundation has selected 29 new high-impact, socially relevant biomedical research projects. One of these projects, led by the Center for Genomic Regulation, includes participation by Dr. Toni Celià-Terrassa, coordinator of the Cancer Stem Cells and Metastasis Dynamics Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute.
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