News - Hospital del Mar

Researchers identify a key mechanism that promotes colorectal cancer metastasis

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:44:58 +0000

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.

Reduced working hours benefit health, but may increase gender differences

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:39:34 +0000

According to a study by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Pompeu Fabra University, Sant Joan de Deu Research Institute and Sant Joan de Déu Health Park, working fewer hours while maintaining the same salary has a positive effect on physical and mental health and work-life balance.

However, it also finds that, in the experiences evaluated, the measure may increase the unequal distribution of roles between women and men. It notes that women devote more time to caregiving and domestic work, while men spend more on leisure.

The researchers conducted a systematic review of the scientific evidence surrounding this type of measure. They highlight that any initiative in this field must also include an analysis of other working conditions that may have an impact on health.

A large-scale study analyzes the evolution of the most common cancers in Europe

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:35:29 +0000

A European macro-study, published in The Lancet Regional Health-Europe, analyzes disease trajectories, associated conditions, and survival among people with cancer. Hospital del Mar and the Hospital del Mar Research Institute took part in the research, which evaluates real-world clinical data from a cohort of more than 1.7 million patients from eight European countries.

The most frequent cancers in Europe are breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung cancer. The highest survival rates a re seen in breast and prostate cancer, while pancreatic cancer has the poorest prognosis.

Databases from Spain, Estonia, and Switzerland show the best survival rates.

Cannabis use may influence treatment mechanisms in first-episode psychosis

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:27:17 +0000

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.

The implementation of the Infarction Code prevented nearly 2,600 deaths in Catalonia during its first seven years

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:48:41 +0000

Deaths among patients with acute myocardial infarction before reaching hospital were reduced, during the response by the Medical Emergency System of Catalonia (SEM), by 20% during this period, compared with what would have been expected in the period prior to the implementation of this initiative.

Overall, 28-day mortality after suffering a heart attack decreased significantly, falling from 27% of cases to 19%.

These findings are highlighted in a study by researchers from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, in collaboration with Hospital de Sant Pau and Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, which analysed data from 100,000 people who suffered a heart attack in Catalonia between 2008 and 2019.

Researchers identify the role of senescent cells in breast cancer progression in preclinical models

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 17:26:59 +0000

Researchers from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology have demonstrated, in animal models, the role played by these cells in the development of cancer cells.

The study, published in Science Advances, shows that eliminating these cells at an early stage of tumor growth promotes tumor proliferation and the formation of metastases.

By contrast, combining their elimination with an inhibitor of the CCL2 molecule reduces tumor size and eliminates metastases.

VIOLET Pharmaceuticals, the new spin-off of the Hospital del Mar Research Institute Barcelona, increases the effectiveness of immunotherapies for metastatic cancer

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:31:35 +0000

It aims to develop the first treatment based on mRNA therapy to boost the efficacy of immunotherapy for this type of tumour.

The new company, a spin-off of the Hospital del Mar Research Institute Barcelona, plans to launch its first human clinical trial in 2028 to validate the safety of this approach.

The project is led by Drs. Toni Celià-Terrassa and Joan Albanell, pioneers in the development of nanotherapies designed to transform tumours that are resistant to immunotherapy into tumours that are vulnerable to treatment.

Working on digital platforms affects the health and well-being and causes chronic stress, anxiety and fatigue

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 13:18:04 +0000

These are some of the conclusions of the report "Working on digital platforms: What do we know about health and safety?", a joint study by UPF and the Hospital del Mar Research Institute Barcelona, within the framework of the international project GIG-OSH, which has collected data from seven European countries.

New tool designed to predict the risk of ischemic stroke from blood fats

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 13:00:29 +0000

Having a higher proportion of fatty acids in the blood from a healthy diet reduces the risk of suffering from this type of stroke by 14%.

The researchers have established an index that measures more reliably than other systems used the quality of fats in the diet of the studied individuals. The work is published in the European Stroke Journal.

Blood fat levels can be calculated from a simple blood test. This opens the door to its application in clinical practice.

Efficacy of a drug demonstrated in preclinical models to halt rhabdomyosarcoma growth

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 15:45:06 +0000

The research team led by the Institut de Recerca Joan de Déu (IRSJD) and the Hospital del Mar Research Institute has, for the first time, demonstrated the efficacy of a drug in animal models developed from samples of patients from the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital.

The study identifies the PRKG1 gene as a key element in the biology of rhabdomyosarcoma and as a potential biomarker to predict treatment response.

The determination of Cristina's parents-a girl who passed away from rhabdomyosarcoma in 2015-has been crucial in making this study possible. Their commitment enabled the raising of more than €600,000 to promote research into new treatments for this type of pediatric tumor.