July 10th, 2025 - Press notes
The journal Cancer Cell has published a study led by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, together with researchers from GEICAM, identifying malignant cells carrying the TIM-3 protein as a central factor in their ability to generate breast cancer metastasis.
This molecule allows cancer cells to survive the most critical and challenging stage of metastasis-when they first reach a new organ-by evading immune system attacks. At the same time, it may serve as a marker of poor prognosis and metastasis risk in patients with TIM-3-positive tumors.
This discovery opens the door to the potential use of treatments that block TIM-3 to prevent metastasis before it becomes clinically evident.
June 27th, 2025 - Press notes
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.
June 13, 2025 - Press notes
Following a diet based on Mediterranean diet recommendations and engaging in moderate physical activity is associated with a 41% to 59% lower risk of starting antidepressant, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, and antiseizure medications.
The study is published in the journal Age and Ageing and is based on data from the PREDIMED study, a clinical trial on the effects of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
The analysis includes data from between 6,000 and 7,000 participants in the study, all older adults at risk for chronic illness.
June 6, 2025 - Press notes
Having high blood levels of a type of molecule, spermidine, before surgery increases the risk of tumor recurrence after surgery by 4.7 times.
This risk decreases if spermidine levels in the patient's blood drop after surgery.
The study is published in the Annals of Surgery journal and opens the door to determining which individuals are at higher risk, either before entering the operating room or just afterward, in order to offer them complementary or specific treatment.
May 27th, 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.
16th May, 2025 - Press notes
Researchers from the Stem Cells and Cancer team at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and the Josep Carreras Leukaemia 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.
April 15th, 2025 - Press notes
Study published in PNAS
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.April 9th, 2025 - Press notes
A study involving more than 1,700 people from five hospitals in Barcelona, Sweden and Italy has validated the usefulness of a biomarker in blood to detect Alzheimer's disease in the clinical setting. The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, demonstrates that this test can be a useful and applicable tool in routine medical practice.
The automated analysis of this biomarker is more than 90% effective in identifying patients with Alzheimer's disease. It is an easy-to-use tool that can partly replace other, more complex diagnostic tests, such as lumbar puncture or positron emission tomography (PET).
The study has established cut-off points from which the patient's symptoms can be considered to be caused by Alzheimer's, if Alzheimer's disease can be ruled out, or if further tests are needed to determine the cause of the disease.
27 March 2025 - Press notes
Previously unknown access points in cell membrane proteins have been discovered, enabling laboratory-developed drugs to modify cell function.
The discovery was made possible through computer simulations with an unprecedented level of detail. The results are available online to support the development of new, targeted drugs for a wide range of diseases.
Research centers from thirteen countries collaborated on the study, which has been published in Nature Communications.
March 24th, 2025 - Press notes
A new study led by researchers from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), the research centre of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, has made significant strides in the search for effective blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease early detection. The research, published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, provides a comprehensive comparison of various plasma biomarkers and their accuracy in detecting Alzheimer's disease in a memory clinic setting.
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