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.
Our research group is a multidisciplinary team with clinical researchers from Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology Service dedicated to preclinical translational research and members with different backgrounds in the field of biomedicine, biochemistry, biotechnology and biology from the Laboratory for the Development of Cell Therapies from the Banc de Sang i Teixits. The mission of this group is to develop cell and tissue-based therapies in the field of regenerative medicine. They are focused in design, conduct and transform preclinical efforts into clinical trials mainly in bone regeneration that could be used in different indications. The team holds a high degree of knowledge and translational experience thanks to several years working in the field and have also established successful collaboration with partners from different fields.
This research line seeks to promote bone regeneration using advanced cell therapy. Our alliance between biologists, engineers and clinical researchers enables us to develop new tissue engineering products that after thorough evaluation in the scopes of basic research and preclinical testing can then be applied in the human clinical setting.
Current Studies:
1. Autologous cell therapy with adult stem cells for osteonecrosis of the femoral head.
Osteonecrosis Clinical phase I-II study: We are currently conducting a comparative study between a product developed by our research group of advanced cell therapy in the context of osteonecrosis of the femoral head precollapse stage. It is a pioneering study at a national and international level by assessing the bone regenerative capability of this product compared to the classical treatment of core decompression.
2. Treatment of femoral head osteonecrosis with advanced cell therapy and biomaterials in an experimental sheep model.
Osteonecrosis preclinical study: We are evaluating mesenchymal stem cells expanded ex-vivo associated with different scaffolds and BMP in osteonecrosis of the femoral head in an ovine model. We are evaluating the different osteoconductive, osteoinductive and osteogenerative components to optimize the best biologic for the treatment of femoral head necrosis.
3. Experimental study of "in vivo" expanded adult stem cell therapy .
Critical size defect preclinical study: We are evaluating mesenchymal stem cells expanded ex-vivo in a critical segmental defect in an ovine model.
IP: Màrius Aguirre Canyadell, Roberto Vélez Villa
This research line seeks the development of new treatments and new surgical techniques of limb salvage in orthopaedic oncology.
Surgical treatments of patients with bone tumours use free bone grafts, vascularized bone grafts or from donors in order to solve massive bone loss. Long surgeries, radiotherapy or chemotherapy could be factors that negatively affect the bone integration of these bone grafts, increasing complications rates such as non-unions, infections or graft fractures.
Research in this field search solutions to decrease graft consolidation time, increase their revitalization and decrease infection rates, and develop new treatment alternatives for limb salvage affected with bone tumours.
Development of new 3D printing techniques applied to orthopaedic oncology can allow development of new prostheses with biocompatible materials, surgical guides and customized 3D models depending on each tumour lesion.
Current research:
1. Prophylactic Antibiotic Regimens in Tumor Surgery (PARITY).
A Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Study Comparing Alternative Antibiotics Regimens in Patients Undergoing Tumor Resections with Endoprosthetic Replacements
2. Preclinical study on the revitalization of bone allografts with vascularized periosteal grafts in a rat animal model.
Preclinical study to verify the osteoproductive, revitalizing and osteointegrative capacity of a vascularized periosteal graft associated with a structural bone allograft.
3. 3D Planification / Printing
3D planification precision and personalised osteotomy guides in pelvic tumour surgery. Pilot study.
IP: Roberto Vélez Villa
Orthopaedic surgeons treat diseases of the "Soft Tissues" including muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and peripheral nerves. Certain degenerative diseases can affect tendons and cartilage, altering their healing capabilities. Traumatic injuries of ligaments, muscles or peripheral nerves may have difficulty healing. These processes lead to dysfunctions and pain. Our working group aims to study the healing process of soft tissues, and propose and evaluate methods to improve tissue reparative processes from the biological standpoint. The ultimate goal is to provide solutions to clinical practice from translational research.
Current studies:
1. In vivo study of the tensile strength of a suture to flexor tendons fluted point compared with conventional yarn Kessler.
This paper studies the flexor tendon healing in rabbits, with different surgical strategies and materials.
2. Clinical prospective randomized study comparing subacromial injection of platelet-rich plasma bupivacaine with betamethasone and rotator cuff tendinosis.
This clinical trial is studying the healing of the rotator cuff tendons with symptomatic degenerative phase that does not respond to treatment through rehabilitation and oral anti-inflammatory. Compare functional outcomes and quality of life with two different treatments. Inflammatory and other biological one.
IP: Daniel Alejandro Pacha Vicente
IP: Isabel Novoa Garcia Collaborators: Joaquim Vives Armengol, Anna Duarri Piqué, Eva Colas Ortega, Oriol Bestard Matamoros, Marta Rosal Fontana, Carmen Espejo Ruiz, Marielle Esteves Coelho, Juan Jose Gonzalez Lopez, Sheyla Pascual Martín, Alejandro Tomasello Weitz, Shirley Guzmán Avilés Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III Funding: 137460 Reference: PT23/00040 Duration: 01/01/2024 - 31/12/2026
PhD student: Felipe Moreira Borim, Felipe Moreira Borim Director/s: Juan Minguell Moñart, Nayana Joshi Jubert University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2023
PhD student: Matias Vicente Goma-Camps Director/s: Màrius Aguirre Canyadell, Màrius Aguirre Canyadell University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2020
PhD student: Eva Alicia Correa Vázquez Director/s: Sergi Barrera Ochoa University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2020
PhD student: Anna Server Salvà Director/s: Ángeles Mesas Idáñez, Cristina Aguilera Martin, Ángeles Mesas Idáñez, Cristina Aguilera Martin University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2019
PhD student: Alba López Fernandez Director/s: Màrius Aguirre Canyadell, Roberto Vélez Villa, Màrius Aguirre Canyadell University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2018
PhD student: Sergi Barrera Ochoa Director/s: Enric Cáceres Palou, Joan Nardi Vilardaga, Roberto Vélez Villa University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2014
PhD student: Roberto Vélez Villa Director/s: Màrius Aguirre Canyadell, Joan Nardi Vilardaga, Vicenç Martínez Ibáñez, Màrius Aguirre Canyadell University: Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona Year: 2010
The creation of hybrid digital-human interaction spaces between avatars and people offers new opportunities for personalized medicine
