http://www.idibaps.com/actualitat/en_noticies/ http://www.idibaps.com/actualitat/en_noticies/7064/the-latest-technologies-of-optical-microscopy-allow-a-new-approach-to-molecular-biology Three consecutive papers in Nature Protocols, EMBO Journal and Molecular Biology of the Cell position the IDIBAPS group Proliferation and cell signaling as a reference in the application of new advanced (Laurdan and confocal with two photons laser) and super- resolution (STED and TIRFM) optical microscopy techniques. The super-resolution microscopy, now available in very few leading centers like the National Center for Cardiovascular Research in Madrid or the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, allows observations at the molecular level of cellular processes in vivo. The researchers of this team, with Dr. Carles Enrich and Dr. Carles Rentero from the Department of Cell Biology, Immunology and Neuroscience, of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, in the lead, assure that these technologies will help to rewrite important chapters in cell biology and to understand the molecular basis of many diseases. ]]> January 30, 2012 http://www.idibaps.com/actualitat/en_noticies/7046/rtss-malaria-vaccine-selected-as-one-of-the-top-ten-medical-breakthroughs-in-2011 Time magazine was the first publication to announce its decision to include the malaria vaccine in its New Year list of medical breakthroughs. A few days later, the prestigious scientific journal Science also recognized the advance. Both publications chose the RTS,S malaria vaccine as one of the ten most important scientific advances of 2011. The decision made by these two influential publications reflects the scientific community's recognition of a vaccine which, despite its moderate effectiveness, nonetheless represents an unprecedented breakthrough in the complex struggle against the parasite that causes over 650,000 deaths a year. The RTS,S vaccine against malaria is a long term research where IDIBAPS – Hospital Clínic International Heath research team played a key role. This research in international health issues became a reference centre called Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB), led by Dr. Pedro Alonso. Source: CRESIB ]]> January 30, 2012 http://www.idibaps.com/actualitat/en_noticies/7040/the-last-idibaps-seminar-focused-on-the-advancement-in-cirrhosis-classification The diagnosis of cirrhosis has experienced important progresses in recent years. In addition to improved techniques for a good diagnose, this diagnosis is now richer in information about patient's prognosis and the degree of development of pathology. Dr. Guadalupe Garcia-Tsao, from Yale University, spoke about it at a recent IDIBAPS seminar, held on Monday January 23. She is a regular collaborator of the team led by Dr. Jaume Bosch at IDIBAPS - Hospital Clínic, an international reference in the field of hepatology and liver hemodynamics. ]]> January 26, 2012 http://www.idibaps.com/actualitat/en_noticies/7023/a-multimedia-application-for-schools-to-learn-about-biomedicine-and-how-does-a-laboratory-work Multimedia applications are an ideal tool to stimulate learning and explaining complex concepts. That is the reason Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), the biomedical research center linked to the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, the University of Barcelona and the CSIC, joined efforts with Ambientech, an institution specialized in educational portals. The result is a virtual laboratory designed to become an educational support in the classrooms, which explains scientific concepts and explains everyday activity in clinical and basic laboratories. This activity, which was started with a grant from the Generalitat de Catalunya (ACDC 2010) and had the support of the Obra Social "la Caixa", is now available in Spanish, Catalan e English and at www.ambientech.org. ]]> January 26, 2012 http://www.idibaps.com/actualitat/en_noticies/6995/the-meetinc-challenges-and-risks-of-research-on-advanced-therapies-brings-together-more-than-a-hundred-scientists-companies-and-professionals The technical conference Challenges and Risks of Research on Advanced Therapies brings together more than a hundred scientists, companies and professionals to analyze the current status and future prospects of research in advanced therapies. The meeting, held on Friday January 20 in the IDIBAPS ‘ CEK building and jointly organized by Biocat and the Cell Therapy Program (TCUB) of the UB Faculty of Medicine, is part of the thematic meetings organized periodically by Biocat to discuss on emerging scientific and technological topics of interest. News and image via Biocat and UB. ]]> January 24, 2012 http://www.idibaps.com/actualitat/en_noticies/6985/histocell-will-develop-a-cell-therapy-against-lung-fibrosis-based-on-a-patent-from-the-csic-and-the-hospital-clinic Histocell, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) have signed a licensing agreement by which the Basque biotech will invest a minimum of three million Euros and its industrial capacity for the next three years to move forward the development of drugs against idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Genoma España, through Innocash program, will provide 450,000 additional Euros to the company through a financing loan. The team that develops the therapeutic approach that could become the first treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is headed by Dr. Ana Serrano, IIBB-CSIC researcher, and Dr. Antoni Xaubet, medical researcher at the Hospital Clínic - IDIBAPS. Information via Biocat. ]]> January 24, 2012 http://www.idibaps.com/actualitat/en_noticies/6962/can-dogs-detect-hypoglycaemia-and-assist-a-patient-during-one-of-these-episodes
Hypoglycaemia (a fall of blood sugar in the blood) may develop within minutes in people with type 1 diabetes. It is usually preceded by symptoms such as sweating, nervousness, or palpitations. There is no efficient system to prevent hypoglycaemia, which may occur at home during the night. British researchers have discovered that dogs often show an altered behaviour when a crisis of hypoglycaemia is about to occur to one of his owners. Amicus Canis is a research project led by CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM) investigating what does detect the dog and educating it to do so, integrating thus the animal into the family life of the patient. This study was performed in collaboration with the l'Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) - Hospital Clínic, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Argus Detection Dogs and the Associació de Diabètics de Catalunya.
More information about Amicus Canis: www.investigaladiabetes.org ]]> January 20, 2012 http://www.idibaps.com/actualitat/en_noticies/6938/idibaps-joins-an-ambitious-project-to-find-a-cure-for-huntingtons-disease By now Huntington's disease has no effective treatment, and there are no appropriate experimental models to study potential drugs. The Cure of Huntington's Disease Initiative (CHDI) is promoting an international effort to change this. This is a private foundation that was interested in embryonic stem cell work by the Stem cells and regenerative medicine group led by Dr. Josep M. Canals, from the IDIBAPS team of Cellular biology of pathological processes and the Department of Cell Biology, Immunology and Neuroscience of the University of Barcelona’s Faculty of Medicine. ]]> January 18, 2012 http://www.idibaps.com/actualitat/en_noticies/6911/the-aids-research-team-launches-a-new-website Some IDIBAPS´ research teams have specific online needs. A recent example is the AIDS research team, led by Dr. Josep Maria Gatell, which introduces its own website to provide detailed information on their research agenda. The project has been coordinated from the within the team thanks to the initiative of Dr. Gilles Mirambeau and the web design skills of Dr. Sébastien Lyonnais, a Marie Curie fellow from the same group. ]]> January 16, 2012 http://www.idibaps.com/actualitat/en_noticies/6896/new-gene-identified-whose-mutations-cause-a-fatal-mitochondrial-encephalopathy An article in the American Journal of Human Genetics identifies a new gene whose mutations cause a fatal childhood disease with encephalopathy and pulmonary hypertension, being usual that patients die before 15 months. The team that signed the article is directed by Dr. Antònia Ribes, and comprised by: A. Navarro-Sastre, F. Tort, A. Font, J. García-Villoria and P. Briones, from the Section of Congenital Metabolic Errors - IBC Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Hospital Clínic - IDIBAPS of Barcelona. ]]> January 9, 2012