About the VHIR
Here at the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) we promote biomedical research, innovation and teaching. Over 1,800 people are seeking to understand diseases today so the treatment can be improved tomorrow.
Research
We are working to understand diseases, to find out how they operate and to create better treatments for patients. Get to know about our groups and their lines of research.
People
People are the centre of the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR). This is why we are bound by the principles of freedom of research, gender equality and professional attitudes that HRS4R promotes.
Clinical trials
Our work is not just basic or translational; we are leaders in clinical research. Enter and find about the clinical trials we are conducting and why we are a world reference in this field.
Progress
Our aim is to make the research carried out at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) a driving force for transformation. How? By identifying new channels and solutions for the promotion of people's health and well-being.
Core facilities
We offer specialist support for researchers, internal and external alike, ranging from specific services to preparing complete projects. All this, from a perspective of quality and speed of response.
News
We offer you a gateway for staying up to date on everything going on at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), from the latest news to future solidarity activities and initiatives that we are organising.
The Biomedical Research Group in Gynaecology is a multidisciplinary team made up of clinical specialists in gynaecology and pathology and basic and translational researchers. Our research is clearly translational. Although we take into account the obvious importance of understanding the mechanism at the cellular and molecular level and try to incorporate it into our research, our research is always focused on having a direct applicability to patients and their clinical benefit. On our way to transferring scientific results to clinical practice, we promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
Our group comprises four main research groups, which are closely connected: The clinical research group devoted mainly to clinical projects in all gynaecological cancers; and three translational research groups dedicated to ovarian cancer; endometrial cancer and endometriosis; diseases of the lower female genital tract.
Research team:
Dr. Antonio Gil-Moreno (Principal researcher)
Dr. Assumpció Pérez-Benavente (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. José Lúís Sánchez Iglesias (Clinical associated investigator)
Dra. Silvia Cabrera (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Vicente Bebia Conesa (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Natalia Rodríguez Gómez-Hidalgo (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Javier de la Torre Fernández de Vega (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. José Luís Poza Barrasús (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Sabina Salicrú Riera (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Laura Mañalich Barrachina (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Montse Cubo Albert (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Cristina Centeno Mediavilla (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Melissa Bradbury (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Sonia Monreal (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Angel García (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Armando Reques (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Elena Suárez (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Mireia Armengol (Clinical associated investigator/resident)
Dra. Eva Colás (Translational associated researcher)
Dr. Melek Denizli (Technician)
Research focus. Clinical Research Lines
CLINICAL ENDOMETRIAL CANCER RESEARCH
- Prospective, randomized study: STELLA1-2 Trial: Transperitoneal vs. Extraperitoneal Approach for Laparoscopic Staging of Endometrial/Ovarian Cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01810874.
- Implementation of radioguided surgery for clinically occult lesions (ROLL) in abdominal recurrences of gynecological tumors.
- MULTISENT study: Ambiespective multicenter study of sentinel node biopsy in initial endometrial cancer.
- Concordance study between morphological techniques and OSNA (one-step nucleic cid amplification) for the detection of lymph node metastases in endometrial carcinoma.
- Preoperative staging of endometrial carcinoma by ultrasound 2D and 3D.
CLINICAL OVARIAN CANCER RESEARCH
- Prospective study: Postoperatory Recovery in Advanced Ovarian Cancer, Fast-Track Protocol vs. Classical Management (PROFAST). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02172638.
- EDMOCS study in ovarian cancer.
- SIMACEO study: Current Situation of the Management of Epithelial Cancer of the Ovary in initial stages in Spain.
CLINICAL CERVICAL CANCER RESEARCH
- Prospective study of validation of sentinel lymph node detection technique in early cervical cancer (FIGO 2018 stages IA2-IB1-IB2-IIA1).
- Collaborating center in the RACC Trial study (PI: Karolynska Hospital, Sweden): International, Prospective, Randomized comparative study of robotic versus laparotomic radical hysterectomy approach in early cervical cancer.
- Validation of robotic assisted and laparoscopic aortic extraperitoneal lymphadenectomy in recurrences of gynaecologic malignancies.
- Preoperative staging of carcinoma of the uterine cervix by ultrasound 2D and 3D.
CLINICAL RESEARCH IN BENIGN GYNECOLOGY
- Prospective study: Multicentric Comparative Randomized Study of the Single-incision Sling Ajust® Versus Suburethral Transobturator Slings. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01699425
- “A 3 Years Naturalistic Cohort Survey Of Altis® Single Incision Sling System For Female Stress Urinary Incontinence. A post-marketing and multicenter prospective observational cohort study in subjects with female stress urinary incontinence”.
- "Non-interventional study to evaluate quality of life, satisfaction with treatment, use of resources and persistence in treatment in patients with overactive bladder (OAB) who were prescribed Betmiga".
- “Comparative study of polyvinylidene fluoride and polypropylene suburethral-slings in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence.”
- “Microarray analysis of differentially expressed genes in samples from patients with pelvic organ prolapse.”
Estudio EME: “Estudio epidemiológico sobre la miomatosis uterina en España”.
CLINICAL RESEARCH: MISCELLANEOUS
Prospective study of validation of sentinel lymph node detection technique in early vulvar cancer (early stages FIGO 2009)
- Prospective study of quality of life in patients with BRCA1-2 after risk-reducing adnexectomy.
- Prospective study of quality of life in patients with BRCA1-2 after risk-reducing mastectomy.
- Early detection of preneoplastic tubal lesions to delay ovarian cancer risk-reducing surgery in patients with BRCA1/2 mutations.
- Prospective, multicenter study for the evaluation of the intraoperative HPV test.
- INCIP Study: Cancer in pregnancy
- Randomized, open, multicentric, parallel group and control group clinical trial to evaluate the effect of PAPILOCARE® in the normalization of cytological alterations of the cervix caused by HPV (PALOMA II Clinical Trial).
- Cervical epithelium methylation as a risk marker of progression to HSIL in women with normal cytology and positive HPV.
- Conservative management of high-risk cervical intraepithelial lesions.
- Utility of DySIS® in the diagnosis and management of intraepithelial lesions of the lower genital tract.
- Breast Cancer During Pregnancy (BRCAPRE). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02102282.
IP: Antonio Gil Moreno
Dr. Eva Colas (Principal researcher)
Dr. Cristian Moiola (Post-doctoral researcher)
Dr. Eva Coll (PhD student)
Dr. Carlos López (PhD student)
Dr. Carina Masferrer (PhD student)
Dr. Beatriz Villafranca (PhD student)
Dr. Marta Rebull (Technician)
Dr. Aida Soler (Technician)
Dra. Elena Suárez (Clinical associated investigator)
Dra. Mireia Armengol (Clinical associated investigator/resident)
Research focus
IMPLEMENTATION OF MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS IN ENDOMETRIAL CANCER
Early detection is directly related to an increased survival for endometrial cancer patients. Diagnosis of endometrial cancer initiates with the presence of symptoms, i.e. an abnormal vaginal bleeding, and 1 of every 10 women with this symptom will have an endometrial cancer. In order to improve early detection, we aim to improve the process of diagnosis by implementing molecular markers in proximal bodily fluids. Thus, we expect to minimize invasiveness whilst increase accuracy on the newly developed methods of diagnosis. In this research line, the group has two ongoing projects:
Proteomic biomarkers for an improved diagnosis in uterine aspirates.
Exploitation of pap-smears as an untapped source of biomarkers of endometrial cancer.
PREVENTING DISTANT AND LOCAL DISSEMINATION OF ENDOMETRIAL CANCER CELLS
Once a patient is diagnosed, the presence of prognostic factors are used to classify patients according to their risk of recurrence, which directly affects their clinical management. However, up to 20% of patients diagnosed at early stages, and up to 50% of patients diagnosed in advanced stages will suffer a relapse without means of predicting it. We aim to understand the mechanisms of local and distant tumour dissemination to develop strategies that prevent tumour relapse. Moreover, we aim to design tools to better estimate the risk of recurrence of endometrial cancer patients. In this research line, the group has two ongoing projects:
Understanding the molecular mechanisms associated to local and distant dissemination via studying the MELF component and the exosomes derived from the tumor.
Deciphering biomarkers of recurrence in endometrial cancer.
DEVELOPING INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENT FOR ENDOMETRIAL CANCER PATIENTS
Nowadays, adjuvant treatment of metastatic or recurrent endometrial cancer patients is restricted to few therapeutic options, mostly based on radiotherapy and conventional chemotherapy regimens. Advances in understanding the molecular landscape of endometrial cancer have arisen the development of targeted therapies. However, responses to these targeted therapies are modest, probably due to the underestimation of the heterogeneity found in cancer, misrepresentation of low frequent subtypes of cancer, as well as the lack of clinically relevant models to perform pre-clinical studies, among other issues. The group aims to develop clinically relevant models and design experimental treatments in order to increase the response rate of patients. In this research line, the group has 2 ongoing projects:
The U-CAN platform of endometrial cancer PDX models to perform preclinical studies.
Identification of new experimental therapies.
Real-time oncology.
MOLECULAR DIAGNOSIS AND RECURRENCE PREDICTION IN ENDOMETRIOSIS
Endometriosis is an estrogen dependent disease that affects approximately 15% of women in reproductive age. Although endometriosis is considered a benign disease, characterized by the presence of uterine tissue outside the uterus, it causes strong pain and, often, infertility. So far, the gold standard method to diagnose endometriosis is laparoscopy, an invasive technique and there are no methods for early diagnose of the disease. In addition, patients undergoing surgery as a definitive treatment of endometriosis might recur without means of predicting it. In this research line, the group has 2 ongoing projects:
Assess the potential of angiogenic factors to diagnose and predict recurrence in endometriosis.
Identification of biomarkers to predict recurrence in endometrioma using a proteomic and transcriptomic approach.
IP: Eva Colas Ortega
Dr. Melissa Bardbury (Principal researcher)
Dra. Anna Santamaría (Stable collaborator)
Dr. José Luís Sánchez Iglesias (Clinical associated investigator)
PERIOPERATIVE IMMUNOMODULATION IN OVARIAN CANCER
Surgery for advanced ovarian cancer is a stressful stimulus that results in a pro-catabolic hormonal and cytokine environment, which significantly impacts metabolism. This metabolic response is accompanied by immune system impairment, increasing the risk of post-operative complications. In this research line the group is working in a multidisplinary project within the ERAS® program at the Vall d’Hebron Hospital for the:
Identification of inflammatory markers predicting improved recovery after surgery within an ERAS® protocol.
MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS AND PREDICTION OF TREATMENT RESPONSE IN OVARIAN CANCER
Ovarian cancer remains the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies due to its late diagnosis and high recurrence rates following treatment. There is a need to improve the early detection of the disease and identify predictive markers of treatment response. These diagnostic and predictive markers are being identified in proximal body fluids and patient-tissue samples. In this research line, the group has 3 ongoing projects:
Proteomic biomarkers for an improved diagnosis in uterine aspirates and pap-smears.
Proteomic biomarkers for the prediction of treatment response.
SalivOmiX: A salivary miRNA-based test for ovarian cancer early diagnosis.
IP: Melissa Bradbury Lobato, Antonio Gil Moreno
Dr. Melissa Bradbury (Principal researcher)
Dr. Cristina Centeno (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Carme Dinarés (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Josep Castellví (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Angel Garcia (Clinical associated investigator)
NEW MARKERS FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND PROGRESSION OF INTRAEPITHELIAL NEOPLASIA OF THE LOWER GENITAL TRACT
Persistent infections with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes are necessary, but not sufficient, cause of preinvasive and invasive lesions of the cervix and the lower genital tract. Although cancer screening prevention is based on HPV screening and pap-smear tests, it is essential to identify new molecular markers that can predict the transformation of HPV-associated lesions.
In this research line our group is assessing: Identification of molecular markers associated to an increased risk of development, persistence and progression of preinvasive lesions of the lower genital tract.
IP: Melissa Bradbury Lobato
IP: Valeria Tubita Collaborators: - Funding agency: Fundació Santiago Dexeus Font Funding: 6000 Reference: DEXEUS/PROJECTE/TUBITA/2024 Duration: 30/12/2024 - 30/12/2026
IP: Vicente Bebia Conesa Collaborators: Maria Asuncion Perez Benavente, Francesc Xavier Serra Marin, Antonio Gil Moreno, Martina Angeles Fite, Ana Luzarraga Aznar, Irene De la Calle Fuentes, Melissa Bradbury Lobato, Melek Denizli, Giulio Bonaldo Funding agency: Fundació La Marató de TV3 Funding: 96737.5 Reference: 202403-30 Duration: 28/02/2025 - 27/02/2028
IP: Eva Colas Ortega Collaborators: Elena Suarez Salvador, Francesc Xavier Serra Marin, Carina Masferrer Ferragutcasas, Anna Ruano Lopez, Josep Castellví Vives, Sonia Monreal Clua, Diana Alejandra Guerrero Lojano, Raquel Delgado Gil Funding agency: Fundació La Marató de TV3 Funding: 200000 Reference: 202407-10 Duration: 20/02/2025 - 19/02/2028
IP: Antonio Gil Moreno Collaborators: Vicente Bebia Conesa, Francesc Xavier Serra Marin, Marta Rebull Santamaria, Martina Angeles Fite, Ana Luzarraga Aznar, Melissa Bradbury Lobato, Beatriz Villafranca Magdalena, Melek Denizli, Lourdes Elena Salazar Huayna, Giulio Bonaldo, Valeria Tubita Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III Funding: 196250 Reference: PI24/01509 Duration: 01/01/2025 - 31/12/2027
PhD student: Carina Masferrer Ferragutcasas, Carina Masferrer Ferragutcasas Director/s: Eva Colas Ortega, Antonio Gil Moreno University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2025
PhD student: Úrsula Acosta Sánchez Director/s: Antonio Gil Moreno University: Year: 2024
PhD student: Christian Siso Raber Director/s: Antonio Gil Moreno University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2023
PhD student: Rocio Luna Guibourg Director/s: Berta Diaz Feijoo, Antonio Gil Moreno University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2022
PhD student: Natalia Rodriguez Gómez - Hidalgo , Natalia Rodriguez Gómez - Hidalgo Director/s: Silvia Cabrera Diaz, Maria Asuncion Perez Benavente, Antonio Gil Moreno, Silvia Cabrera Diaz University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2022
PhD student: Carlos Lopez Gil Director/s: Antonio Gil Moreno, Eva Colas Ortega University: Year: 2022
PhD student: Taisiia Melnychuk Director/s: Antonio Gil Moreno, Eva Colas Ortega University: Year: 2022
PhD student: Montserrat Cubo Abert, Montserrat Cubo Abert Director/s: Antonio Gil Moreno University: Year: 2021
PhD student: Sabina Salicrú Riera Director/s: Antonio Gil Moreno University: Year: 2021
PhD student: Jordi Rabasa Antonijuan Director/s: Antonio Gil Moreno University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2020
PhD student: Elena Suarez Salvador Director/s: Antonio Gil Moreno University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2020
PhD student: Jose Luis Poza Barrasus, Jose Luis Poza Barrasus Director/s: Antonio Gil Moreno University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2020
PhD student: Alfonso Parrilla Ocon Director/s: Anna Santamaria Margalef University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2019
PhD student: Berta Román Canal Director/s: Eva Colas Ortega University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2019
PhD student: Tatiana Altadill Vallespi Director/s: Antonio Gil Moreno, Eva Colas Ortega University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2018
PhD student: Júlia Vallvé Juanico Director/s: Xavier Santamaria Costa, Antonio Gil Moreno University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2018
PhD student: Laura Devis Jauregui Director/s: Jaume Reventós Puigjaner, Antonio Gil Moreno, Eva Colas Ortega University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2017
PhD student: Lucia Lanau Angulo Director/s: Jaume Reventós Puigjaner, Marina Rigau Resina, Anna Santamaria Margalef University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2017
PhD student: Elena Martínez García Director/s: Antonio Gil Moreno, Jaume Reventós Puigjaner, Eva Colas Ortega University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2017
PhD student: Blanca Majem Cavaller Director/s: Anna Santamaria Margalef University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2017
PhD student: José Luis Sánchez Iglesias, José Luis Sánchez Iglesias Director/s: Antonio Gil Moreno University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2014
PhD student: Marina Rigau Resina Director/s: Jaume Reventós Puigjaner, Andreas He Doll , Joan Morote Robles University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2011
PhD student: Eva Colas Ortega, Eva Colas Ortega, Eva Colas Ortega Director/s: Jaume Reventós Puigjaner, Miguel Abal Posada University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2011
PhD student: Berta Diaz Feijoo Director/s: University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2007
Researchers from the centre took part in international debates on AI in healthcare, spin-offs emerging from research were presented, and several initiatives linked to VHIR received recognition in the field of entrepreneurship.
The grants promote new therapeutic strategies and diagnostic tools in highly complex tumors such as glioblastoma, triple-negative breast cancer, and endometrial cancer.
The Department of Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya grants subsidies for carrying out validation tests on innovative projects in the field of health that are in the early stages of development.
