Systemic Diseases

The Systemic Diseases group performs translational research based on at least 300 patients with systemic lupus erytomatosus (SLE), antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), systemic sclerosis, vasculitis, dermatomyitis, Sjörgen syndrome or autoinflammatory syndromes in order to better understand their pathogenesis (both at the immunological and genetic regulation level), study their clinical and biological expression (through the detection of new markers that help characterize each of the autoimmune diseases), study morbimortality (through epidemiological studies) and analyse patients' response to medications. With these goals in mind, we seek to improve the diagnosis, clinical monitoring, and prognosis of our patients.

Research lines

Sumoylation in TTR Amyloidosis. Effect of Tafamidis in patients affected with TTR-Amyloidosis

Protein misfolding and aggregation are common features in many degenerative amyloid disorders. In each case, a specific amyloidogenic protein misfolds and follows a toxic aggregation pathway leading to a defined clinical outcome. Many factors that may trigger protein misfolding and aggregation have been implied in the development of these pathologies, such as abnormal proteolysis, point mutations and post-translational modifications. So far, though, no one has studied the SUMOylation status of TTR. In this project we are evaluating the role that SUMOylation plays in TTR amyloidosis in the different subtypes of patients with this disease. Furthermore, we are also studying the effect that the drug of choice, tafamidis, might have on the sumoylation process.

IP: -

Systemic Autoimmune diseases

SLE, Systemic sclerosis, vasculitis, dermatomyositis, Sjogren Syndrome, antiphospholipid síndrome and autoinflammatory síndromes.

1.-Epigenetic and Genetic studies in Autoimmune systemic diseases

2.-Development of new diagnostic criteria for the autoimmune systemic diseases.

3.-Identification of new diagnostic diseases biomarkers and for assessing disease activity.

4- Evaluation of new immunosuppressive drugs, biological therapies and antifibrotic agents in these conditons.

5.-Epidemiologic and Morbi-mortality studies

IP: -

Urinary biomarkers detection in lupus nephritis.

Our main goal in this project is to try to avoid the repeated renal biopsies needed for establishing both the diagnosis and the following up of patients who suffer with lupus nephritis. By using just urine from the patients, we want to find out whether there is one/some biomarker/s (MCP-1, TWEAK, NGAL, APRIL, RANTES,...) that allow us to establish particular diagnosis and prognosis criteria equally effective or even more accurate than those obtained with the renal biopsy.

IP: José Ordi Ros