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Clinical Neuroimmunology

The group of Clinical Neuroimmunology - Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat) at the Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR) is a multidisciplinary group dedicated to clinical assistance, physical and cognitive rehabilitation, and clinical and basic research on multiple sclerosis (MS). Cemcat is a national but also an international reference center in the clinical assistance of MS patients. The research performed in the group is divided and further combined in clinical and basic research. In addition, basic research has a marked translational character since the ultimate goal of the group is to improve the quality of life of patients suffering from MS, through in-depth knowledge of the pathogenic mechanisms of the disease and the development of new and more effective therapeutic approaches. 

Team

Noelia Rojas Garnacho

Noelia Rojas Garnacho

Research technician
Clinical Neuroimmunology
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Nualart Mundo, Oriol

Nualart Mundo, Oriol

Research technician
Clinical Neuroimmunology
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Pérez Rubio, Ana Maria

Pérez Rubio, Ana Maria

Administration and Management
Clinical Neuroimmunology
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Pulido Salgado, Marta

Pulido Salgado, Marta

Administration and Management
Clinical Neuroimmunology
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Rafael Garcia Merida

Rafael Garcia Merida

Administration and Management
Clinical Neuroimmunology
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Ramos Hernandez, Lidia

Ramos Hernandez, Lidia

Administration and Management
Clinical Neuroimmunology
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Noelia Rojas Garnacho

Noelia Rojas Garnacho

Research technician
Clinical Neuroimmunology
Read more
Nualart Mundo, Oriol

Nualart Mundo, Oriol

Research technician
Clinical Neuroimmunology
Read more
Pérez Rubio, Ana Maria

Pérez Rubio, Ana Maria

Administration and Management
Clinical Neuroimmunology
Read more
Pulido Salgado, Marta

Pulido Salgado, Marta

Administration and Management
Clinical Neuroimmunology
Read more
Rafael Garcia Merida

Rafael Garcia Merida

Administration and Management
Clinical Neuroimmunology
Read more
Ramos Hernandez, Lidia

Ramos Hernandez, Lidia

Administration and Management
Clinical Neuroimmunology
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Projects

Niveles en suero de neurofilamentos de cadena ligera como marcador pronóstico de evolución de la enfermedad y de respuesta al tratamiento en esclerosis múltiple

IP: Georgina Arrambide García
Collaborators: Jordi Rio Izquierdo, Rosalia Horno Ocaña, Cristina Auger Acosta, Marta Rodríguez Barranco, Joaquin Castillo Justribo, Mireia Castillo Juarez
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 110715
Reference: PI19/01590
Duration: 01/01/2020 - 30/06/2024

Estudio de comorbilidad y de inmunogenicidad vacunal en una cohorte prospectiva de pacientes con primeros brotes sugestivos de Esclerosis Múltiple

IP: Susana Otero Romero
Collaborators: Juliana Esperalba Esquerra, Mar Tintore Subirana, Laia Pinos Tella, Marta Rodríguez Barranco, Luciana Midaglia Fernandez, Sonia Maria Uriona Tuma, Sonia Maria Uriona Tuma
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 105270
Reference: PI19/01606
Duration: 01/01/2020 - 30/06/2024

Liquid biopsy in multiple sclerosis: A non-invasive approach for disease prognosis and drug discovery...

IP: Sunny Malhotra Sareen
Collaborators: Jordi Rio Izquierdo, Ana Zabalza de Torres, Rucsanda Pinteac
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 140360
Reference: PI20/01697
Duration: 01/01/2021 - 30/06/2025

Search of immune signatures associated with multiple sclerosis disease phenotypes

IP: Nicolás Miguel Fissolo
Collaborators: Luciana Midaglia Fernandez, Breogan Rodriguez Acevedo
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 169400
Reference: PI20/00276
Duration: 01/01/2021 - 30/06/2025

Publications

Development and multi-center validation of a fully automated digital immunoassay for neurofilament light chain: toward a clinical blood test for neuronal injury.

PMID: 37702323
Journal: CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
Year: 2023
Reference: Clin Chem Lab Med. 2023 Sep 13. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2023-0518.
Impact factor:
Publication type: Paper in international publication
Authors: Akgun, Katja; Bar-Or, Amit; Bielekova, Bibi; Bittner, Stefan; Blennow, Kaj; Bruck, Wolfgang; Chan, Dandan; Chang, Lei; Chitnis, Tanuja; Comabella, Manuel et al.
DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2023-0518

Association between cannabis use and symptom dimensions in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: an individual participant data meta-analysis on 3053 individuals.

PMID: 37731936
Journal: EClinicalMedicine
Year: 2023
Reference: EClinicalMedicine. 2023 Sep 8;64:102199. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102199. eCollection 2023 Oct.
Impact factor:
Publication type: Paper in international publication
Authors: Addington, Jean Margaret; Amoretti, Silvia; Andreassen, Ole Andreas; Argote, Mathilde; Asmal, Laila; Baudin, Gregoire; Bechdolf, Andreas; Brambilla, Paolo; Brunelin, Jerome; Cookey, Jacob et al.
DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102199

A single-dose strategy for immunization with live attenuated vaccines is an effective option before treatment initiation in multiple sclerosis patients.

PMID: 37728389
Journal: Multiple Sclerosis Journal
Year: 2023
Reference: Mult Scler. 2023 Sep 20:13524585231200303. doi: 10.1177/13524585231200303.
Impact factor:
Publication type: Paper in international publication
Authors: Arrambide, Georgina; Bollo, Luca; Borras-Bemejo, Blanca; Braga, Nathane; Carbonell, Pere; Carvajal, Rene; Castillo, Joaquin; Cobo-Calvo, Alvaro; Cobo-Calvo, Alvaro; Comabella, Manuel et al.
DOI: 10.1177/13524585231200303

Safety and efficacy with alemtuzumab over 13 years in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: final results from the open-label TOPAZ study.

PMID: 37745914
Journal: Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders
Year: 2023
Reference: Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2023 Sep 21;16:17562864231194823. doi: 10.1177/17562864231194823. eCollection 2023.
Impact factor:
Publication type: Paper in international publication
Authors: Achiron, Anat; Chirieac, Magdalena; Coles, Alasdair J; Comi, Giancarlo; Freedman, Mark S; Giovannoni, Gavin; Montalban, Xavier; Oreja-Guevara, Celia; Pozzilli, Carlo; Rawlings, Andreea M et al.
DOI: 10.1177/17562864231194823

Assessment of 2D conventional and synthetic MRI in multiple sclerosis.

PMID: 35583667
Journal: NEURORADIOLOGY
Year: 2022
Reference: Neuroradiology. 2022 May 18. pii: 10.1007/s00234-022-02973-2. doi: 10.1007/s00234-022-02973-2.
Impact factor: 2.804
Publication type: Paper in international publication
Authors: Aymerich, Francesc Xavier, Auger, Cristina, Alonso, Julio, Barros, Andrea, Clarke, Margareta A, Mora, Juan, Arrambide, Georgina, Corral, Juan Francisco, Andrino, Ana, Sastre-Garriga, Jaume et al.
DOI: 10.1007/s00234-022-02973-2

Exploring in vivo multiple sclerosis brain microstructural damage through T1w/T2w ratio: a multicentre study.

PMID: 35580993
Journal: JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
Year: 2022
Reference: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2022 Jul;93(7):741-752. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2022-328908. Epub 2022 May 17.
Impact factor: 10.283
Publication type: Paper in international publication
Authors: Margoni, Monica, Pagani, Elisabetta, Meani, Alessandro, Storelli, Loredana, Mesaros, Sarlota, Drulovic, Jelena, Barkhof, Frederik, Vrenken, Hugo, Gallo, Antonio, Bisecco, Alvino et al.
DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2022-328908

Two years of COVID-19 in the MS community: What have we learnt so far?

PMID: 35549532
Journal: Multiple Sclerosis Journal
Year: 2022
Reference: Mult Scler. 2022 Jun;28(7):1005-1008. doi: 10.1177/13524585221099844. Epub 2022 May 13.
Impact factor: 6.312
Publication type: Editorail in international publication
Authors: Thompson, Alan J, Montalban, Xavier, Zabalza, Ana et al.
DOI: 10.1177/13524585221099844

Inflammation in multiple sclerosis induces a specific reactive astrocyte state driving non-cell-autonomous neuronal damage.

PMID: 35538884
Journal: Clinical and Translational Medicine
Year: 2022
Reference: Clin Transl Med. 2022 May;12(5):e837. doi: 10.1002/ctm2.837.
Impact factor: 11.492
Publication type: Letter whit IF
Authors: Matute-Blanch, Clara, Brito, Veronica, Midaglia, Luciana, Villar, Luisa M, Garcia-Diaz Barriga, Gerardo, Guzman de la Fuente, Alerie, Borras, Eva, Fernandez-Garcia, Sara, Calvo-Barreiro, Laura, Miguez, Andres et al.
DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.837

Sex Differences and Commonalities in the Impact of a Palatable Meal on Thalamic and Insular Connectivity.

PMID: 32492812
Journal: Nutrients
Year: 2020
Reference: Nutrients. 2020 Jun 1;12(6). pii: nu12061627. doi: 10.3390/nu12061627.
Impact factor: 4.546
Publication type: Paper in international publication
Authors: Kilpatrick, Lisa, Pribic, Teodora, Ciccantelli, Barbara, Malagelada, Carolina, Livovsky, Dan M, Accarino, Anna, Pareto, Deborah, Azpiroz, Fernando, Mayer, Emeran A et al.
DOI: 10.3390/nu12061627

Assessment of brain volumes obtained from MP-RAGE and MP2RAGE images, quantified using different segmentation methods.

PMID: 32468150
Journal: MAGNETIC RESONANCE MATERIALS IN PHYSICS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
Year: 2020
Reference: MAGMA. 2020 Dec;33(6):757-767. doi: 10.1007/s10334-020-00854-4. Epub 2020 May 28.
Impact factor: 1.956
Publication type: Paper in international publication
Authors: Alonso, Juli, Pareto, Deborah, Alberich, Manel, Kober, Tobias, Marechal, Benedicte, Llado, Xavier, Rovira, Alex et al.
DOI: 10.1007/s10334-020-00854-4

EAN guideline on palliative care of people with severe, progressive multiple sclerosis.

PMID: 32469447
Journal: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
Year: 2020
Reference: Eur J Neurol. 2020 Aug;27(8):1510-1529. doi: 10.1111/ene.14248. Epub 2020 May 29.
Impact factor: 4.516
Publication type: Paper in international publication
Authors: Sastre-Garriga, J, Kopke, S, Rahn, A C, Kleiter, I, Aleksovska, K, Battaglia, M A, Bay, J, Copetti, M, Drulovic, J, Kooij, L et al.
DOI: 10.1111/ene.14248

EAN Guideline on Palliative Care of People with Severe, Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

PMID: 32469284
Journal: JOURNAL OF PALLIATIVE MEDICINE
Year: 2020
Reference: J Palliat Med. 2020 Nov;23(11):1426-1443. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2020.0220. Epub 2020 May 29.
Impact factor: 2.085
Publication type: Paper in international publication
Authors: Rahn, Anne C, Kleiter, Ingo, Aleksovska, Katina, Battaglia, Mario A, Bay, Jette, Copetti, Massimiliano, Drulovic, Jelena, Kooij, Liesbeth, Mens, John, Meza Murillo, Edwin R et al.
DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2020.0220

Blog

News

In total, different projects of six research groups will be promoted, focusing on precision medicine and advanced therapies.

Dr. Carmen Espejo and Dr. Georgina Arrambide, researchers at Cemcat and Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, are the first authors of the article.

The research findings propose to modify the McDonald 2017 criteria, only in those in whom diagnosis using the current criteria is not possible.

Rates

Simoa HD1 equipment

We are seeking healthy volunteers for a study to find biomarkers of multiple sclerosis

We are looking for 100 healthy volunteers aged 18 or over to participate in a project where the usefulness of biomarkers in serum will be evaluated to predict the prognosis of the disease and the response to treatments.

More information