17/03/2022 - Press release
Researchers at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute and Hospital del Mar have transformed immunotherapy-resistant tumours into tumours that respond to this treatment, achieving cures in animal models through an innovative therapeutic strategy in triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive subtype. Researchers have discovered the essential role of a new factor, LCOR, in enabling cancer cells to present tumour antigens on their surfaces. These antigens allow the immune system to recognise the tumour, an essential step if immunotherapy treatment is to succeed. On the other hand, they have shown that cancer stem cells have very low levels of LCOR, making them invisible to the immune system and therefore resistant to treatment. The work that has just been published used an innovative experimental messenger RNA system, similar to the technology used for COVID-19 vaccines, to produce LCOR in tumour cells. In this way, the resistant tumour cells of triple-negative cancer become visible and sensitive to the immune system. This approach is also being investigated in other breast cancer subtypes
Més informació "Radical increase in the effectiveness of breast cancer immunotherapy"
22/03/2022 - Press release
In contrast, exposure to environmental pollutants such as fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and soot significantly increases the risk of suffering an ischaemic stroke. The article in the journal Environment International, one of the most important studies published to date in Europe, analysed data from the entire population in Catalonia, geo-referencing more than three and a half million people. The authors consider that these results mean that the maximum levels of atmospheric pollutants established by the EU need to be reconsidered. The risk of suffering an ischaemic stroke, the most common type of cerebrovascular event, is 16% less in people who have green spaces less than 300 metres from their homes. This has been revealed in a joint study by the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Hospital del Mar, the Catalan Health Quality and Assessment Agency (AQuAS) from the Catalan Government's Department of Health and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre promoted by the "la Caixa" Foundation. It is the most important work in this field to date in Europe, analysing data on the entire population of Catalonia between 2016 and 2017.
Més informació "Living near green areas reduces the risk of suffering a stroke by 16%"
17/02/2022 - Press release
New research associates the presence of Caudovirales in gut microbiota to an improvement in cognitive functions and memory in humans, mice and flies. The results show that bacteriophages present in the gut microbiota influence the relationship between the microbiome and the brain The article, published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, was led by Dr. Jordi Mayneris-Perxachs and Dr. José Manuel Fernández-Real, of the Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health group of the Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI) Dr. Josep Trueta and CIBEROBN, and has been carried out in collaboration with the Neuropharmacology research group led by Dr. Rafael Maldonado of Pompeu Fabra University and attached to the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM); the FISABIO Foundation, the University of Valencia (UV) and the University of Alicante (UA).
08/02/2022 - Press release
Drugs which are commonly-used as the first line of treatment for colorectal cancer cause the tumour cells to oversecrete proteins known as mucins, according to a new study published today in the journal eLife. The proteins alter the mucous layer, forming a physical barrier that prevents drugs from reaching their intended target. Using different techniques involving genetic manipulation and the use of chemical inhibitors, the research team were able to experimentally regulate mucin secretion in cancer cell lines and patient-derived organoids, paving the way for the development of future treatments that can be used alongside chemotherapy to target drug-resistant forms of colorectal cancer. The experiments also revealed potential new biomarkers for the prognosis of the disease.
Més informació "Colorectal cancers raise defensive barrier in response to chemotherapy"
27/01/2022 - Press release
This is a new valid marker for diagnosing this type of tumour, one of the cancers with the worst prognosis. It is, in fact, the third leading cause of cancer death in developed countries. The study, published in the journal eBioMedicine, was led by researchers from the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute and IBB-CSIC-IDIBAPS. Their results point to a protein present in tumour cells as an indicator of pancreatic cancer in early stages of the disease. This marker can be detected through a simple blood test, facilitating its application in clinical practice. A team of researchers from the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM-Hospital del Mar) and IIBB-CSIC-IDIBAPS have identified a new viable early diagnostic marker for the most common type of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The study has been published in the journal eBioMedicine, from The Lancet group, and may represent an important step in the early detection and treatment of this type of tumour, with one of the worst prognoses. Doctors and researchers from the Digestology and Medical Oncology Departments at Hospital del Mar, as well as from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas; CNIO), the Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria; IRYCIS) and CIBER also collaborated in the study.
Més informació "New diagnostic marker for pancreatic cancer identified"
14/12/2021 - Press release
This new resource, developed by the GPCR Drug Discovery Group at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, provides a three-dimensional analysis of the movements of COVID-19 proteins. This can help researchers understand how they work and develop new treatments and vaccines The tool, available online to all researchers, offers a large number of simulations of how these proteins work, as well as resources for predicting how their function could change in relation to mutations that may occur in the structure of this coronavirus The scientists behind the initiative used more than 360 gigabits of data to develop it. To date, it is the only database for studying SARS-CoV-2 that combines protein simulations with mutation data
02/12/2021 - Press release
A study using mice shows that animals fed a diet rich in beneficial live microorganisms suffer less from the addictive effects of alcohol consumption. The work has been published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition. It is the first to analyse the possible relationship between intestinal bacteria and the possibility of altering addictive behaviours related to alcohol use. In the study, animals that maintain a healthy microbiota also avoid addiction relapse and have lesser effects from associated disorders such as depression and anxiety.
17/11/2021 - Press release
Hospital del Mar, in collaboration with Roche, is working on a pioneering artificial intelligence tool to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with small cell lung cancer, one of the cancers with the worst outlook. Based on digitised images from patient biopsies and survival data, the aim is to test whether the tool can reliably predict the benefit of the various treatments. This would allow more effective selection of the most appropriate type of treatment. At a later stage, the aim is to evaluate the specific mutations present in each tumour and to analyse whether digital imaging is capable of predicting these. Hospital del Mar, in collaboration with Roche, has initiated the development of a pioneering artificial intelligence device to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of patients suffering small cell lung cancer. This is one of the lung cancers with the worst prognosis and having such a reliable tool will allow medical teams to determine the best treatment for each type of patient.
Més informació "Artificial intelligence for selecting the best lung cancer treatment"
18/11/2021 - Press release
A study by researchers from Hospital del Mar, the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute and Hospital Son Espases, shows that the combination of a new antibiotic, ceftazidime/avibactam, with other antibiotics, can treat infections caused by variants of Pseudonomas aeruginosa that are resistant to all existing treatments. The study, published in Microbiology Spectrum, involved an in vitro analysis of the efficacy of the different treatments and their combinations to determine their effectiveness against variants of this bacterium, which is resistant to all existing drugs. Resistance to antibiotics has been identified by the World Health Organisation as one of the main threats to global health. Infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause pneumonia, heart problems and sepsis, especially in immunocompromised people
According to a study by the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute and the Germans Trias i Pujol Institute of Health Sciences published in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, driving after drinking alcohol mixed with energy drinks can give the driver a false sense of security, thus increasing the chances of driving while intoxicated and suffering an accident Due to their high caffeine content, energy drinks reduce the sedative effect of alcohol, despite not affecting its negative effects on driving ability Moreover, combining the two drinks increases blood concentrations of alcohol and caffeine. Researchers warn that these effects may favour alcohol intoxication in people with a lower tolerance to these drinks
Més informació "Mixing energy drinks with alcohol can increase the risk of a traffic accident"
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