Acerca del VHIR
El Vall d'Hebron Instituto de Investigación (VHIR) promueve la investigación biomédica, la innovación y la docencia. Más de 1.800 personas buscan comprender las enfermedades hoy con el objetivo de mejorar su tratamiento mañana.
Investigación
Trabajamos para entender las enfermedades, saber cómo funcionan y crear mejores tratamientos para los pacientes. Conoce nuestros grupos y sus líneas de investigación.
Personas
Las personas son el centro del Vall d'Hebron Instituto de Investigación (VHIR). Por eso nos vinculamos con los principios de libertad de investigación, igualdad de género y actitud profesional que promueve la HRS4R.
Ensayos clínicos
Nuestra tarea no es solo básica o traslacional; somos líderes en investigación clínica. Entra para saber qué ensayos clínicos estamos llevando a cabo y por qué somos referente mundial en este campo.
Progreso
Queremos que la investigación que se efectúa en el Vall d'Hebron Instituto de Investigación (VHIR) sea un motor de transformación. ¿Cómo? Identificando nuevas vías y soluciones para fomentar la salud y el bienestar de las personas.
Core facilities
Ofrecemos un apoyo especializado a los investigadores tanto internos como externos, desde un servicio concreto hasta la elaboración de un proyecto en su totalidad. Todo ello, con una perspectiva de calidad y agilidad de respuesta.
Actualidad
Te damos una puerta de entrada para estar al día de todo lo que sucede en el Vall d'Hebron Instituto de Investigación (VHIR), desde las últimas noticias hasta las actividades e iniciativas solidarias futuras que estamos organizando.
El grupo de Investigación Biomédica en Urología está interesado en el estudio de los cánceres hormono-dependientes, en particular, del cáncer de próstata (pero no limitado a éste).
Nuestros esfuerzos están centrados en encontrar por un lado herramientas que nos ayuden en el diagnóstico precoz de la enfermedad, en la mejor diferenciación de los tumores de acuerdo con su agresividad y su respuesta a terapia y finalmente en encontrar terapias eficaces contra ella.
Desde el punto de vista molecular, centramos nuestros estudios principalmente en procesos de señalización celular relacionados con el ciclo celular y la mitosis (con las quinesinas, quinasas y ligasas de ubiquitina como dianas principales).
Nuestro grupo multidisciplinar está compuesto por biólogos moleculares y urólogos, y colaboramos con oncólogos, patólogos y especialistas de otras enfermedades cuando se requiere.
Trabajamos con datos in silico obtenidos con diferentes técnicas ómicas, muestras y datos clínicos de los pacientes, modelos in vitro e in vivo, para responder a las preguntas planteadas.
All the above strategies leading to the discovery of new biomarkers, are validated in specifically designed tissue microarrays using immuno-histochemistry in FFPE samples from radical prostatectomies.
IP: Inés de Torres Ramirez
Prostate cancer (PC) is the second leading cause of death for cancer in men of the western Countries. While considerable advances have been made in the treatment of localized, organ-confined tumors, metastatic PC is virtually incurable and most deaths from this disease are due to the high resistance of metastasis to conventional therapies (androgen-depletion-therapy, ADT). Therefore, more precise markers for the detection of the incipient resistant tumor and more effective targets that eliminate the resistant clones are needed.
A principal aim is to identify relevant molecular pathways specifically active in aggressive prostate cancer, useful for an early detection of ADT resistant tumors and for treatment strategies.
In our studies, we have discovered the human Prostate Tumor OVerexpressed-1 (PTOV1) gene, later called Acid-2, and a second gene with a PTOV module, PTOV2, later called MED25, a component of Mediator (1-2).
The detection of PTOV1 in high-grade PIN (HGPIN) premalignant lesions is helpful to identify patients with higher probability to develop PC (3). PTOV1 ectopic expression promotes proliferation, invasion and metastasis of ADT resistant cells (1,2,4,5). PTOV1 induces the epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) and increased metastasis of PC3 cells (4). Mechanistically, PTOV1 is implicated in multiple processes controlling cell fate: it promotes mRNA translation leading to a specific increased synthesis of c-Jun and Snai1 oncogenes (4), and it is a transcriptional repressor of HES1 and HEY1 genes, leading to inhibition of Notch signalling in metastatic PC (5). PTOV1 significantly affect the self-renewal potential of the cancer stem cell populations of PC3 cells (5).
Current objectives of our line of research are: (i) Determine the role of PTOV1 in the resistance to ADT and chemotherapy (taxols). (ii) Characterize the sub-clonal cancer stem cell populations (CSC) present in metastatic primary tumors and the genes and factors responsible for the development of the resistance to ADT.
1) Benedit P, et al. Oncogene 2001;20:1455–1464.
2) Santamaria A, et al. Am J Pathol 2003;162:897–905.
3) Morote J, et al. Clin Cancer Res 2008:14:2617-2622.
4) Marqués N, et al. Oncogene 2014;33(9):1124-34.
5) Alaña L et al., Mol Cancer 2014;13:74.
IP: -
Research team:
Dr. Antonio Gil-Moreno (Principal researcher)
Dr. Assumpció Pérez-Benavente (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. José Lúís Sánchez Iglesias (Clinical associated investigator)
Dra. Silvia Cabrera (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Vicente Bebia Conesa (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Natalia Rodríguez Gómez-Hidalgo (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Javier de la Torre Fernández de Vega (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. José Luís Poza Barrasús (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Sabina Salicrú Riera (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Laura Mañalich Barrachina (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Montse Cubo Albert (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Cristina Centeno Mediavilla (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Melissa Bradbury (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Sonia Monreal (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Angel García (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Armando Reques (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Elena Suárez (Clinical associated investigator)
Dr. Mireia Armengol (Clinical associated investigator/resident)
Dra. Eva Colás (Translational associated researcher)
Dr. Melek Denizli (Technician)
Research focus. Clinical Research Lines
CLINICAL ENDOMETRIAL CANCER RESEARCH
- Prospective, randomized study: STELLA1-2 Trial: Transperitoneal vs. Extraperitoneal Approach for Laparoscopic Staging of Endometrial/Ovarian Cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01810874.
- Implementation of radioguided surgery for clinically occult lesions (ROLL) in abdominal recurrences of gynecological tumors.
- MULTISENT study: Ambiespective multicenter study of sentinel node biopsy in initial endometrial cancer.
- Concordance study between morphological techniques and OSNA (one-step nucleic cid amplification) for the detection of lymph node metastases in endometrial carcinoma.
- Preoperative staging of endometrial carcinoma by ultrasound 2D and 3D.
CLINICAL OVARIAN CANCER RESEARCH
- Prospective study: Postoperatory Recovery in Advanced Ovarian Cancer, Fast-Track Protocol vs. Classical Management (PROFAST). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02172638.
- EDMOCS study in ovarian cancer.
- SIMACEO study: Current Situation of the Management of Epithelial Cancer of the Ovary in initial stages in Spain.
CLINICAL CERVICAL CANCER RESEARCH
- Prospective study of validation of sentinel lymph node detection technique in early cervical cancer (FIGO 2018 stages IA2-IB1-IB2-IIA1).
- Collaborating center in the RACC Trial study (PI: Karolynska Hospital, Sweden): International, Prospective, Randomized comparative study of robotic versus laparotomic radical hysterectomy approach in early cervical cancer.
- Validation of robotic assisted and laparoscopic aortic extraperitoneal lymphadenectomy in recurrences of gynaecologic malignancies.
- Preoperative staging of carcinoma of the uterine cervix by ultrasound 2D and 3D.
CLINICAL RESEARCH IN BENIGN GYNECOLOGY
- Prospective study: Multicentric Comparative Randomized Study of the Single-incision Sling Ajust® Versus Suburethral Transobturator Slings. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01699425
- “A 3 Years Naturalistic Cohort Survey Of Altis® Single Incision Sling System For Female Stress Urinary Incontinence. A post-marketing and multicenter prospective observational cohort study in subjects with female stress urinary incontinence”.
- "Non-interventional study to evaluate quality of life, satisfaction with treatment, use of resources and persistence in treatment in patients with overactive bladder (OAB) who were prescribed Betmiga".
- “Comparative study of polyvinylidene fluoride and polypropylene suburethral-slings in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence.”
- “Microarray analysis of differentially expressed genes in samples from patients with pelvic organ prolapse.”
Estudio EME: “Estudio epidemiológico sobre la miomatosis uterina en España”.
CLINICAL RESEARCH: MISCELLANEOUS
Prospective study of validation of sentinel lymph node detection technique in early vulvar cancer (early stages FIGO 2009)
- Prospective study of quality of life in patients with BRCA1-2 after risk-reducing adnexectomy.
- Prospective study of quality of life in patients with BRCA1-2 after risk-reducing mastectomy.
- Early detection of preneoplastic tubal lesions to delay ovarian cancer risk-reducing surgery in patients with BRCA1/2 mutations.
- Prospective, multicenter study for the evaluation of the intraoperative HPV test.
- INCIP Study: Cancer in pregnancy
- Randomized, open, multicentric, parallel group and control group clinical trial to evaluate the effect of PAPILOCARE® in the normalization of cytological alterations of the cervix caused by HPV (PALOMA II Clinical Trial).
- Cervical epithelium methylation as a risk marker of progression to HSIL in women with normal cytology and positive HPV.
- Conservative management of high-risk cervical intraepithelial lesions.
- Utility of DySIS® in the diagnosis and management of intraepithelial lesions of the lower genital tract.
- Breast Cancer During Pregnancy (BRCAPRE). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02102282.
IP: Antonio Gil Moreno
Dr. Melissa Bardbury (Principal researcher)
Dra. Anna Santamaría (Stable collaborator)
Dr. Eva Coll (PhD student)
Dr. Carlos López (PhD student)
Dr. José Luís Sánchez Iglesias (Clinical associated investigator)
Research focus
PERIOPERATIVE IMMUNOMODULATION IN OVARIAN CANCER
Surgery for advanced ovarian cancer is a stressful stimulus that results in a pro-catabolic hormonal and cytokine environment, which significantly impacts metabolism. This metabolic response is accompanied by immune system impairment, increasing the risk of post-operative complications. In this research line the group is working in a multidisplinary project within the ERAS® program at the Vall d’Hebron Hospital for the:
Identification of inflammatory markers predicting improved recovery after surgery within an ERAS® protocol.
MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS AND PREDICTION OF TREATMENT RESPONSE IN OVARIAN CANCER
Ovarian cancer remains the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies due to its late diagnosis and high recurrence rates following treatment. There is a need to improve the early detection of the disease and identify predictive markers of treatment response. These diagnostic and predictive markers are being identified in proximal body fluids and patient-tissue samples. In this research line, the group has 3 ongoing projects:
Proteomic biomarkers for an improved diagnosis in uterine aspirates and pap-smears.
Proteomic biomarkers for the prediction of treatment response.
SalivOmiX: A salivary miRNA-based test for ovarian cancer early diagnosis.
IP: Melissa Bradbury Lobato, Antonio Gil Moreno
En el Día Mundial de la Investigación en Cáncer, el VHIR destaca los últimos avances para conocer los mecanismos biológicos del cáncer, mejorar los tratamientos existentes y la apuesta por la nanomedicina y las terapias avanzadas.
Las investigaciones han alcanzado un nivel avanzado de madurez tecnológica, consolidando su viabilidad para implementación en entornos reales.
En el Día Mundial de la Investigación en Cáncer, destacamos la investigación para mejorar los tratamientos contra el cáncer infantil y de adultos gracias a técnicas innovadoras.
