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 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.
Study of humoral responses against Epstein-Barr virus as a long-term prognostic factor in patients with MS.
Characterization of the immunological profiles associated with the different MS phenotypes.
Study of extracellular vesicles derived from CNS cells as prognostic biomarkers in patients with MS.
IP: Manuel Comabella Lopez
We focused on studying the impact of sexual hormones and the different reproductive stages of a woman's life on multiple sclerosis. As part of this project we have achieved the following publications:
1 - Menarche, pregnancies, and breastfeeding do not modify long-term prognosis in multiple sclerosis.
2 - Oral contraceptives do not modify the risk of a second attack and disability accrual in a prospective cohort of women with a clinically isolated syndrome and early multiple sclerosis.
3 - Menopause does not modify disability trajectories in a longitudinal cohort of women with clinically isolated syndrome and multiple sclerosis followed from disease onset.
4 - Menopause and multiple sclerosis: Influence on prognosis and role of disease-modifying drugs and hormonal replacement therapy.
IP: Mar Tintore Subirana, Luciana Midaglia Fernandez
Delve in the characterization of therapeutic targets identified by the group i.e. chitinase 3-like 1 and the NLRP3 inflammasome, for the development of new treatments in patients with MS.
Development of new humanized preclinical models of MS to investigate primary glial pathology, as well as the neuroprotective potential of new therapeutic agents: (i) generation of human glial chimeric mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis; (ii) transplantation of oligodendrocytes derived from MS patients into demyelinated human brain-slice cultures.
IP: Carmen Tur Gomez Collaborators: Enrique Rodríguez Zafra, Elena Huerga Núñez, Jordina Beltran Valles Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III Funding: 152500 Reference: PI24/01277 Duration: 01/01/2025 - 31/12/2027
IP: Carmen Espejo Ruiz Collaborators: Carlos Nos Llopis, Herena Eixarch Ahufinger, Mireia Resina Salles, Breogan Rodriguez Acevedo, Mireia Castillo Juarez Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III Funding: 227500 Reference: PI24/01122 Duration: 01/01/2025 - 31/12/2027
IP: Alvaro Cobo Calvo Collaborators: Cristina Auger Acosta, Miguel Angel Robles Sanchez, Elisa Marín Ordovás, Mireia Castillo Juarez, Luca Bollo Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III Funding: 201875 Reference: PI24/00859 Duration: 01/01/2025 - 31/12/2027
IP: Manuel Comabella Lopez Collaborators: Berta Miró Cau, Andreu Vilaseca Jolonch, Elisa Marín Ordovás, Rucsanda Pinteac, Rucsanda Pinteac Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III Funding: 233750 Reference: PI24/01088 Duration: 01/01/2025 - 31/12/2027
PhD student: Javier Villacieros Álvarez Director/s: Alvaro Cobo Calvo, Carmen Espejo Ruiz University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2025
PhD student: Neus Mongay Ochoa, Neus Mongay Ochoa Director/s: Jaume Sastre Garriga, Deborah Pareto Onghena University: Year: 2024
PhD student: Llucia Coll Benejam Director/s: Carmen Tur Gomez, Deborah Pareto Onghena, Carmen Tur Gomez University: Year: 2024
PhD student: Rucsanda Pinteac , Rucsanda Pinteac , Rucsanda Pinteac Director/s: Manuel Comabella Lopez, Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2024
PhD student: Maria Arantza Dema Etxezarreta, Maria Arantza Dema Etxezarreta Director/s: Herena Eixarch Ahufinger, Carmen Espejo Ruiz University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2023
PhD student: Luciana Midaglia Fernandez, Luciana Midaglia Fernandez Director/s: Jaume Sastre Garriga, Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Year: 2023
PhD student: Ana Zabalza de Torres, Ana Zabalza de Torres Director/s: Mar Tintore Subirana, Georgina Arrambide García, Georgina Arrambide García University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2022
PhD student: Clara Matute Blanch Director/s: Manuel Comabella Lopez, Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Year: 2021
PhD student: Julià Enric Rubio Roca Director/s: Miguel Chillon Rodriguez, Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Year: 2020
PhD student: Laura Calvo Barreiro Director/s: Carmen Espejo Ruiz, Herena Eixarch Ahufinger, Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2020
PhD student: Elia Gil Varea Director/s: Manuel Comabella Lopez, Sunny Malhotra Sareen, Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2018
PhD student: Alba Gomez Morago Director/s: Xavier Montalban Gairín, Jordi Barquinero Mañez University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2016
PhD student: Raúl Pelayo Vergara Director/s: Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Year: 2016
PhD student: Angela Vidal Jordana, Angela Vidal Jordana Director/s: Jaume Sastre Garriga, Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2016
PhD student: Joaquin Castillo Justribo Director/s: Jordi Rio Izquierdo, Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2016
PhD student: Jaume Sastre Garriga Director/s: Xavier Montalban Gairín, Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2015
PhD student: Sunny Malhotra Sareen Director/s: Manuel Comabella Lopez, Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Year: 2014
PhD student: M Jesus Arevalo Navines Director/s: Xavier Montalban Gairín, Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2014
PhD student: Manuel Comabella Lopez Director/s: Xavier Montalban Gairín, Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2013
PhD student: Carmen Tur Gomez, Carmen Tur Gomez, Carmen Tur Gomez Director/s: Vicenç Fonollosa Pla, Xavier Montalban Gairín University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2012
PhD student: Carmen Espejo Ruiz Director/s: University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2005
Funding has been obtained for 43 projects under the calls for Health R&D&I Projects, Health Technology Development, and Independent Clinical Research
The session has helped bring the public an up-to-date perspective on diagnosis, treatments, and the research lines that are transforming the future of patients.
Dr. Xavier Montalban, Dr. Álex Rovira, Dr. Mar Tintoré and Dr. Jaume Sastre Garriga have been recognised in the listing.
Simoa HD1 equipment
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.
