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"
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"
04/02/2022 - Institutional news
This morning, Minister Diana Morant visited the facilities of the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, accompanied by the manager of the Parc de Salut Mar, Dr. Olga Pané, the director of the IMIM, Dr. Joaquín Arribas, and the director of the IMIM's Cancer Research Programme, Dr. Juan Albanell. During the event, she visited the laboratory of the New Molecular Targets in Cancer Research Group and met with the heads of the IMIM's cancer research groups.
31/01/2022 - General information
Glioblastoma and oral drugs for various types of cancer are among the targets of the projects for the first phase, selected from among more than a hundred proposals, due to their clinical and industrial relevance The project "PARP2: a new therapeutic target in c-myc-driven tumours", headed up by Dr. José Yélamos, coordinator of the Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase research group at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) and the Immunology Service at Hospital del Mar, has been selected in the first edition of the Cancer Innova initiative, a consortium comprising the Kaertor Foundation and the Spanish Association Against Cancer in collaboration with the pharmaceutical companies Janssen and Lilly, which is supported by the Galician regional government. On this occasion, 110 proposals from eight countries were submitted, of which just five were selected based on their high clinical and industrial impact.
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"
26/01/2022 - General information
The technique achieves good results in terms of toxicity, the preservation of the physical appearance and patient ratings when used for partial breast irradiation compared to its use in combination with large doses of fractionated whole-breast irradiation. Patients with early-stage breast cancer more positively evaluate treatment with partial intraoperative radiotherapy of the breast than the approach that uses the same technique in combination with whole-breast irradiation divided into large doses. This is highlighted in a study published in the journal Clinical and Translational Oncology, led by the Radiation Oncology Service and the Functional Breast Pathology Unit at Hospital del Mar as well as researchers in the Radiation Oncology Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute.
Més informació "Partial intraoperative radiotherapy in breast cancer, more highly rated by patients"
20/01/2022 - Institutional news
The head of the Gastrointestinal Surgery Section of the Surgery Service of the Hospital del Mar and coordinator of the Gastroesophageal Carcinogenesis Research Group of the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), thus becomes the only surgeon in the State to be an honorary member of this institution, in recognition of his career. Dr. Manuel Pera has become an honorary member of the European Board of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery, within the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) at the proposal of the institution's examining committee. So far, among the more than forty professionals who have obtained the Board, only three other surgeons from the State have managed to become fellows of the entity. Dr. Pera is the first to do so as an honorary member.
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"
11/11/2021 - General information
The AECC has awarded 186 grants in 2021, totalling approximately 20 million euros. Two of these will benefit IMIM researchers, Teresa Lobo, who is receiving a postdoctoral grant, and Arnau Sabater, who has been able to participate in the laboratory internship programme. The Spanish Association Against Cancer awarded its 2021 research grants at a ceremony held on 11 November at its headquarters in Barcelona. In total, 186 projects and nearly 20 million euros have been allocated with the aim of continuing progress into cancer research, focusing on the patient and further increasing cancer survival. In this edition, two researchers linked to the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) will benefit from the grants.
Two projects by staff from the Hospital del Mar and the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) have been awarded funding by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology as part of its 2021 grants. The awards were presented on 13 October in Madrid and represent a new record for the organisation, with 44 scholarships and grants awarded with an endowment of nearly 1.4 million euros. All the money is earmarked for research and the training of medical professionals to improve the survival and quality of life of cancer patients.
© Institut Hospital del Mar
d'Investigacions MèdiquesLegal Notice and Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Site Index | Accessibility | Find Us | Contact
