This year, for the second consecutive year, the ANiNATH association (Association of Children with Liver Transplants) has won the Carglass(R) Teaming award, which translates into a donation to research in pediatric liver transplantation led by Dr. Jesús Quintero from the Digestive and Hepatic Diseases area of the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR). On October 21, Dr. Jesús Quintero and Dr. María Mercadal, VHIR researchers, Katia Verger for ANiNATH, and Neil Rogers, Noemí Rubio and Alicia Segura, from Carglass(R), met in a virtual meeting.Every year the Carglass(R) company promotes the solidarity initiative "Teaming Project", in which employees propose, choose and support an NGO project and Carglass(R) doubles the amount raised. Like last year, ANiNATH has been the association chosen as the recipient of the funds that are raised. "We are proud to be associated with ANiNATH and Vall d'Hebron, as the work they do is extraordinary", says Neil Rogers, CEO of Carglass(R)."We are very grateful for having received the Teaming award for the second consecutive year, we appreciate it very much because it helps us to work on one of our goals: to support research in child liver transplantation", adds Katia Verger, president and co-founder of ANiNATH.The association's contribution will go towards VHIR's pediatric liver transplantation research. The main objective of this study is to reduce the number of biopsies that have to be done to assess the evolution of a liver transplant in a patient. "We are looking for biomarkers in the blood that are related to the inflammation in the transplanted liver and, from here, decide if the biopsy is necessary or not to have more information", explains Dr. Jesús Quintero, principal investigator of the area of Digestive and Hepatic Diseases at VHIR and head of the Pediatric Hepatology and Liver Transplantation Unit at the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital. "The collaboration with Carglass(R) and ANiNATH is invaluable for us, it gives us strength to continue working and dedicating efforts to improve the health of children", he thanks. Biomarkers of inflammation of the transplanted liver to reduce biopsiesLiver transplant patients receive immunosuppressive treatment with the aim of reducing their inflammatory reaction against the liver that has been transplanted and, therefore, rejection. However, it has been shown that, even if there is no rejection, there is still some inflammation. "This inflammation is usually mild but, as we are talking about children who have their whole lives ahead, over time it can cause fibrosis that damages the liver and it is important to keep it under control", explains Dr. Quintero. Until now, this inflammation can only be detected with continuous biopsies, however, as it is a very invasive methodology, the researchers are trying to establish a new protocol.With the aim of reducing invasiveness, Dr. Quintero's team is looking for biomarkers that, based on a blood test, allow knowing the degree of activation of the immune system and, therefore, the degree of inflammation. "By studying these biomarkers in the blood we could perform 90% fewer biopsies, that is, biopsies would only be done in those patients in whom the blood test shows alterations", emphasizes Dr. Quintero."The work that we are doing makes the parents of the children who are transplanted feel very hopeful, since they trust in a new protocol that allows fewer biopsies to be done", says Dr. Maria Mercadal, researcher at the Digestive and Hepatic Diseases area at VHIR and adjunct physician at the Pediatric Hepatology and Liver Transplantation Unit of the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital. ANiNATHThe ANiNATH association was founded in March 2015 by families of children with liver transplants and living donors. The main objective of ANiNATH is to be close and support families who are going through a similar situation, help research and raise awareness in society about the importance of organ donation. The association has been supporting Vall d'Hebron research with different donations since 2015. Carglass(R)Leader in repair and replacement of automobile glassware in Spain since 1998 and in the rest of the world through its shareholder Belron, it has a high solidarity commitment, with a battery of actions on various fronts through which it offers its support to various NGOs.