IDIBELL launches an experimental cardiology program designed to develop custom clinical applications.

The program specializes in the functional study of platelets and evaluation of the response to antithrombotic and lipid-lowering drugs (decrease blood fat).
It is directed by Dr. José Luis Ferreiro, a cardiologist at the Heart Disease Area of the University Hospital of Bellvitge and researcher at IDIBELL Cardiovascular Disease group. Dr. Ferreiro was formed two years in platelet functionalism and in antithrombotic therapy in the Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Florida, College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida.

Response to current drugs
In recent years there are new drugs to treat acute coronary syndrome, such acute myocardial infarction and angina pectoris. These diseases account for most heart disease and are the leading cause of death in men. Although currently has more than fifteen antithrombotic drugs, it continues to be used in a generic way aspirin and clopidogrel as antiplatelet treatment of choice. Still, up to 40% of patients do not respond to the action of these drugs and a significant number may be more sensitive to other treatments.

One of the goals of the IDIBELL’s cardiovascular research laboratory is to identify profiles of patients who respond poorly to these therapies and determine the best drugs so that they can try and explore new therapeutic targets: “Finding the most efficient drug combination for each patient”. Some of these profiles “are already known, such as diabetics, the elderly or those belonging to certain ethnic groups. In fact the highest risk group is diabetics who are also those with a poorer response to current drugs”.

Researchers at the new lab will also deepen understanding of the basic mechanisms of platelet function, thus allowing better understanding of the mechanisms that cause cardiovascular disease.

Ideal scenario

The launch of the cardiovascular research laboratory is a project of the IDIBELL Cardiovascular Disease research group and the Heart Disease Area of the University Hospital of Bellvitge, both led by Dr. Angel Cequier. Cequier has ensured that the laboratory “has been created in an ideal scenario because the transfer of clinical research to the patient can be performed easily.” He explained that “the cardiovascular research have much impact on day to day treatment of patients” who

Cequier said “is our first goal”.

The new project has been presented on Thursday March at the hall of the Hospital Duran i Reynals (ICO) and it has been attended by the Mayor of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Núria Marín, who said that despite the economic context investing in research must continue. The ceremony also was attended by the managing director of the University Hospital of Bellvitge and president of the governing board of IDIBELL, Xavier Corbella, who stressed the translational nature of the new laboratory as “the best research is given with the best clinical support and vice versa “And the director general of IDIBELL, Emilio Pola has ensured that after the launch of the new program with the support of institutions, now is the time to give prominence to the researchers and their work. After the event, attendees were able to visit the facilities

The new laboratory

The laboratory is located on the third floor of the Hospital Duran i Reynals of Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. During its first years of operation, it will evaluate samples of about three hundred patients, corresponding to a thousand platelet function tests. It is envisaged that, initially, can benefit directly or indirectly from the research laboratory to ten percent of patients treated at the University Hospital of Bellvitge. In the future, this percentage could be higher.