Dr. Maria Vicario, researcher from the Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Digestive Tract group at Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR), leads a pioneer project on eosinophilic esophagitis which has been selected by the "http://www.sepd.es/proyectos_investigacion.php" Spanish Society of Digestive Pathology in the II Call of Research Projects SEPD 2013. The study, funded with 6,000 euros, is titled “Functional analysis of the cytotoxic lymphocytic population in the esophageal epithelium of patients with eosinophilic esophagitis.Eosinophilic esophagitis is an inflammatory disease of the esophagus with a significant effect on the health and quality of life of adults and children. It is an emerging disease from the clinical and research point of view, because of its late recognition as an independent pathology, only 20 years ago. Nonetheless, in the last 5 years, the number of studies on this pathology has increased significantly. Nowadays it is the second cause of esophagitis after the gastroesophageal reflux disease and the main cause of dysphagia in young adults. However, the knowledge of its etiopathogenesis is limited and the therapeutics options are not always effective in the long-term. The project of Maria Vicario’s team at VHIR aims to identify cytotoxic mechanisms of cell damage and esophageal dysfunction. It is an innovative approach to the pathology with the goal of broadens knowledge about its etiopathogenesis and treatment improvement. The study funded opens a new research line in the laboratory of Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Digestive Tract group, and will count with the collaboration of Dr. Alfredo Lucendo, from the Hospital General de la Mancha Centro, in Ciudad Real.