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 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.
Three to five percent of pregnancies are complicated by preeclampsia (PE). PE is a multisystemic-related endothelial dysfunction disorder characterized by hypertension, proteinuria and renal injury. Despite considerable research, its etiology and pathophysiology still remains unclear. Different theories involving many pathways including thrombophilia, immunologic changes, circulating angiogenic /antiangiogenic factors and increased oxidative stress have been related to its pathogenesis. The role played by antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) is a matter of discussion in PE. Biological evidence of endothelial dysfunction related to PE/FGR has been shown by modified plasma markers including fibronectin, von Willebrand factor and ICAM-1 in a similar manner to that which occurs in aPL-related obstetric complications. We are searching now the role played by different aPL and cofactor antibodies, as well as its relationship with angiogenic /antiangiogenic factors and microparticle number in severe PE.
IP: Jaume Alijotas Reig, Elisa Llurba Olivé, Anna Suy Franch
The study aims to investigate the risk factors for ischemic complications in patients with GCA, and the role that some endothelial growth factors may play in its development. This study is coordinated by Dr. Gonzalez Gay from University Hospital of Valdecilla, Santander.
IP: Roser Solans Laque
This is a multicentre study supported by the Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Group (GEAS) from the Spanish Internal Medicine Society (SEMI). The aim of the study is to describe the different clinical forms of presentation of these diseases, the response to the conventional treatment of the different subtypes of vasculitides, and the prognostic factors and survival in our country. This study includes 17 Hospitals from Spain with a cohort of 300 patients. We are the study coordinator Centre.
Antibodies to collagen have been identified in patients with infectious (endocarditis) and inflammatory (rheumatic) valvulopathies. The objective is to assess a possible role of autoantibodies against types I and IV collagen in the valvulopathy of patients with antiphospholipid syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus.
IP: José Pardos Gea
A Vall d’Hebron team demonstrates, for the first time, the potential of optical genome mapping to detect genetic alterations associated with this rare disease that are not identified using conventional methods.
The study describes the first documented case worldwide of hereditary angioedema transmission through assisted reproduction.
15 researchers from the Rheumatology, Systemic Diseases and the Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Digestive Tract groups gave around 25 presentations.
