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 in Urology group is interested in the study of hormone-dependent cancers, in particular prostate cancer (but not limited to it).
Our efforts are focused on finding, on the one hand, tools that help us in the early diagnosis of the disease, in the best differentiation of tumors according to their aggressiveness and their response to therapy, and finally in finding effective therapies against it.
From a molecular point of view, we focus our studies mainly on cell signaling processes related to the cell cycle and mitosis (with kinesins, kinases and ubiquitin ligases as main targets).
Our multidisciplinary group is made up of molecular biologists and urologists, and we collaborate with oncologists, pathologists and specialists in other diseases when required.
We work with in silico data obtained with different "omics" techniques, samples and clinical data from patients, in vitro and in vivo models, to answer the questions raised.
One main focus of our research is the discovery of new biomarkers for the early detection of prostate cancer (PC). The detection of proteins, RNA or miRNAs from easily accessible body fluids, such as blood or urine, will make possible to diagnose the disease at an early/pre-symptomatic stage, or monitoring responses to therapy in a simple and non-invasive way. This will improve the specificity of the currently used PSA serum measurements.
We have identified a three-gene panel in urine able to increase the PSA specificity for the detection of PC, and using liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and triple quadruple mass spectrometry (LC/MSMS, SRM), we have discovered the presence of specific, differential proteomic profiles in the urine of PC patients.
Furthermore, we have identified a genomic profile able to detect PC in patients previously diagnosed with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN). Such profile should have an application in the clinics and improve decision making in the diagnosis and treatment of PC (Figure).
1) Sequeiros T, et al. Prostate 2015; Accepted;
2) Rigau M*, Olivan M*, et al. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2013;14: 12620-12649;
3) Rigau M, et al. Prostate 2011; 71:1736-45;
4) Rigau M et al. Prostate 2010; 70:1760-7
IP: Joan Morote Robles
Since the prostate is in direct contact with the urethra, desquamated cells and secreted products, including exosomes, are abundant in human urine and serve as potential source for PC biomarkers. We aim to identify protein biomarkers in urinary exosomes for early detection of PC in a non-invasive manner.
IP: -
It is still difficult by current risk stratification strategies, to distinguish patients with rapidly progressing PC, requiring aggressive treatment, from those with an indolent tumour that will not progress. One aim of our group is to identify miRNA signatures that closely correlate with clinical outcome of PC and characterize the role in cancer progression of the most relevant miRNAs associated to the metastatic profile in order to identify new potential therapeutic targets for aggressive PC.
Sequeiros T*, Garcia M*, et al. BioMed Research Int?2013; doi:10.1155/2013/283635
All the above strategies leading to the discovery of new biomarkers, are validated in specifically designed tissue microarrays using immuno-histochemistry in FFPE samples from radical prostatectomies.
IP: Inés de Torres Ramirez
On World Cancer Research Day, we highlight research aimed at improving treatments for both pediatric and adult cancers through innovative techniques.
The work led by Dr. Regis demonstrates that performing robotic reconstruction after radical prostatectomy is associated with better urinary control.
A clinical trial with the prototype of the device shows that the use of this technology improves patient monitoring by nurses and reduces post-surgical complications.
