Dr. Maria Vicario, who leads together with Dr. Javier Santos the research line in Neuro-Immuno-Gastroenterology, inside the Phisiology and pathophisiology of the digestive tract group at VHIR, has obtained an annual grant for the study of functional digestive diseases, the only one that has granted in 2013 the organization 'The Rome Foundation'. The work, titled 'Distinctive humoral activity in the intestinal mucosa of IBS. New approach to IBS etiopathogenesis', has been awarded with 50.000 dollars during the period June 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014. This grant, that recognizes worldwide the potential of Dr. Vicario's research and the environment of our institute and the hospital in which he works, is the only one that will give this institution in 2013 among many candidates.Irritable bowel Syndrome has a great impact in society but at present lacks specific biomarkers. The research line of Dr. Vicario has proved the relation between the activation of the intestinal mast cells and structural abnormalities in the epitelial barrier, both related to the specific symptomatology of this syndrome. Additional experiments have identified the presence of cellular and molecular markers of humoral activity in the bowel of these patients. From this stand point, the granted project will focus on the study of the contribution of the B lymphocytes and the characterization of the neuro-immunological mechanisms that promote the survival of the plasma cells and the production of immunoglobulin in this pathology.This research will contribute relevant information, till now unknown, about the physiopathology of the disease and will help to the identification of biomarkers. According to Dr. Vicario, leader of the project, "our aim is to identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie bowel dysfunction in these patients, to be able to design effective therapeutic strategies that revert the typical symptomatology of this pathology".'The Rome Foundation' is a non-profit organization that supports activities destined for the scientific knowledge on the diagnosis and the treatment of functional gastrointestinal diseases to improve the quality of life of patients who suffer them.