Projects

IrsiCaixa is involved in a hundred national and international research projects active each year, funded by both public and private entities.

Keywords

Research group

Researcher

From date

To date

Epigenetic regulation of host factors in viral infections (EPIVINF)

Project status

Ongoing

Start/End

2021

/

2027

Principal investigator

Christian Brander

Participating entities

Karolinska Institute, Ospedale San Raffaele, The Saarland University, Omniscope and IRTA-CReSA

Web

Web EPIVINF

Reference

101057548

Behaviours and environment can change the way your genes work through a mechanism known as epigenetics, which act as a switch that turns genes on or off. The EU-funded EPIVINF project aims to understand how acute viral infections alter the epigenetic regulation of host genes that are governing immune control and neurological health. EPVINF will also investigate how pre-existing epigenetics impact immune response to vaccination. The study will focus on HIV and SARS-CoV-2 as two human viral pathogens that affect millions of people around the globe and share common features that require further research. The study also aims to identify the predisposing factors leading to specific clinical symptoms and how these could be employed as novel therapeutic targets.

Funding: This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101057548
Agonistas de NOD como estrategia terapéutica para la infección por SARS-CoV-2 e influenza

Project status

Ongoing

Start/End

2022

/

2026

Participating entities

IrsiCaixa, IGTP

Strategic lines

Global infectious diseases

Financing entity

ISCIII

Reference

PI22/01575
Epigenetic regulation of host immunity and neurological long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Project status

Ongoing

Start/End

2022

/

2025

Principal investigator

Christian Brander

External researchers

Holger Heyn,

Joaquim Segalés,

Lourdes Mateu

Participating entities

IrsiCaixa, CRG-CNAG, IRTA-CReSA, Fundació Lluita contra les Infeccions

Strategic lines

Global infectious diseases

Web

CaixaResearch Health Call

Financing entity

Fundació "la Caixa"

Reference

HR22-00681

Ten per cent of COVID-19 infected individuals continue to experience symptoms months after infection. This illness, known as post-COVID-19 condition (PCC), can include severe neurological impairments such as brain fog and loss of memory, concentration or attention.

Although the reason for the persistence of symptoms is not yet known, several studies suggest that one of the possible causes could be alterations at epigenetic level, i.e., mechanisms that acts like on/off switches in genes. As in the case of HIV, the IrsiCaixa research team has observed that SARS-CoV-2 infection could be the cause of changes in these switches, which turn genes on and off and can alter the response of the patient's immune system, resulting in neurological alterations.

To determine the role of epigenetics in long COVID, the project team will assess whether there are alterations at this level, while also characterising potential neurological and immune system alterations. This will enable identification of the key affected genes involved in long COVID. To this end, the team will use an animal model of COVID-19 and test new therapeutic strategies aimed at reversing epigenetic dysregulation.

IrsiCaixa collaborator researchers: Marta Ruiz-Riol, Tuixent Escribà Bel, Marta Massanella Luna, Roger Paredes Deirós
Mecanismos de supresión del VIH en controladores de élite excepcionales: Vinculando funciones virológicas e inmunológicas para explicar la dinámica viral

Project status

Ongoing

Start/End

2024

/

2026

Principal investigator

Julià Blanco Arbués

External researchers

Concepción Casado Herrero

Participating entities

IrsiCaixa, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)

Strategic lines

Global infectious diseases

Financing entity

Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)

Reference

PI23/01269

IrsiCaixa collaborator researchers: Silvia Marfil Verchili, Amaya Blanco Perera, Anna Pons Grífols
Comprehensive analysis of urine biomarkers to predict pathologic complete response in muscle invasive bladder cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy

Project status

Ongoing

Start/End

2023

/

2024

Principal investigator

Cecilia Cabrera Navarro

External researchers

Albert Font

Participating entities

IrsiCaixa

Strategic lines

Cancer

Financing entity

Gilead Sciences

Reference

GLD22/00070
Desarrollo de una proteína de fusión ACE2/FC con actividad profiláctica y terapéutica contra todas las variedades de SARS-CoV-2

Project status

Ongoing

Start/End

2023

/

2025

Principal investigator

Benjamin Trinité

Participating entities

IrsiCaixa

Strategic lines

Global infectious diseases

Financing entity

Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)

Reference

DTS23/00009

IrsiCaixa collaborator researchers: Edwards Pradenas Saavedra, Ester Aparicio Prats, Ferran Abancó i Espuga, Tetyana Pidkova, Anna Pons Grífols
Digital Twins enabled indoor air quality management for healthy living

Project status

Ongoing

Start/End

2023

/

2025

Principal investigator

Cecilia Cabrera Navarro

Participating entities

IrsiCaixa

Financing entity

European Commission (Horizon Europe)

Reference

101057779

IrsiCaixa collaborator researchers: Joan Pagès i Oliveras, Elisabet García Rodríguez
Assess the immunomodulatory effect of leriglitazone on macrophages exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or to LPS

Project status

Ongoing

Start/End

2023

/

2025

Principal investigator

Nuria Izquierdo Useros

Participating entities

IrsiCaixa

Strategic lines

Global infectious diseases

Financing entity

Minoryx Therapeutics SL
Thermal disinfection by magnetic induction: a study with SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses

Project status

Ongoing

Start/End

2023

/

2025

Principal investigator

Nuria Izquierdo Useros

Participating entities

IrsiCaixa

Strategic lines

Global infectious diseases

Financing entity

Fundació Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia
Limiting West Nile Virus impact by novel vaccines and therapeutics approaches (LWNVIVAT)

Project status

Ongoing

Start/End

2023

/

2027

Principal investigator

Jorge Carrillo Molina

Participating entities

Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Centre for Genomic Regulation, HIPRA Scientific S.L, Université de Montpellier, Technische Universtät Braunschweig, Kloverpris Lab (University of Copenhagen)

Strategic lines

Emerging infectious diseases

Financing entity

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON) under grant agreement No 101137248

IrsiCaixa collaborator researchers: Erola Ainsua Enrich, Mª Luisa Rodríguez de la Concepción, Núria Pedreño López, Julià Blanco Arbués, Nuria Izquierdo Useros, Julia García Prado, Rosina Malagrida Escalas

Funding: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON) under grant agreement No 101137248