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.
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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.
Prostate cancer (PC) is the second leading cause of death for cancer in men of the western Countries. While considerable advances have been made in the treatment of localized, organ-confined tumors, metastatic PC is virtually incurable and most deaths from this disease are due to the high resistance of metastasis to conventional therapies (androgen-depletion-therapy, ADT). Therefore, more precise markers for the detection of the incipient resistant tumor and more effective targets that eliminate the resistant clones are needed.
A principal aim is to identify relevant molecular pathways specifically active in aggressive prostate cancer, useful for an early detection of ADT resistant tumors and for treatment strategies.
In our studies, we have discovered the human Prostate Tumor OVerexpressed-1 (PTOV1) gene, later called Acid-2, and a second gene with a PTOV module, PTOV2, later called MED25, a component of Mediator (1-2).
The detection of PTOV1 in high-grade PIN (HGPIN) premalignant lesions is helpful to identify patients with higher probability to develop PC (3). PTOV1 ectopic expression promotes proliferation, invasion and metastasis of ADT resistant cells (1,2,4,5). PTOV1 induces the epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) and increased metastasis of PC3 cells (4). Mechanistically, PTOV1 is implicated in multiple processes controlling cell fate: it promotes mRNA translation leading to a specific increased synthesis of c-Jun and Snai1 oncogenes (4), and it is a transcriptional repressor of HES1 and HEY1 genes, leading to inhibition of Notch signalling in metastatic PC (5). PTOV1 significantly affect the self-renewal potential of the cancer stem cell populations of PC3 cells (5).
Current objectives of our line of research are: (i) Determine the role of PTOV1 in the resistance to ADT and chemotherapy (taxols). (ii) Characterize the sub-clonal cancer stem cell populations (CSC) present in metastatic primary tumors and the genes and factors responsible for the development of the resistance to ADT.
1) Benedit P, et al. Oncogene 2001;20:1455–1464.
2) Santamaria A, et al. Am J Pathol 2003;162:897–905.
3) Morote J, et al. Clin Cancer Res 2008:14:2617-2622.
4) Marqués N, et al. Oncogene 2014;33(9):1124-34.
5) Alaña L et al., Mol Cancer 2014;13:74.
IP: Cell signaling and cancer progression
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
This research line evaluates better strategies able to improve the process of Early Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer, detecting significant tumors and avoiding unnecessary biopsies. In addition, this line also studies the outcomes of the Active Surveillance Program and the Robotic Program.
IP: Joan Morote Robles, Ana Celma Domènech
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: -
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.
