La Marató de TV3 2011, dedicated to organ and tissue transplantation have funded four projects led by IDIBELL researchers. The granted researchers are Josep Maria Aran, researcher of Human Molecular Genetics Group; Josep Maria Grinyó, leader of the Nephrology and Renal Transplantation group; Eduard Montanya, head of the Diabetes, Endocrine and Nutrition group, and Francesc Ventura, leader of the Growth Factors and Cell Differentiation group.
The aids were delivered during a ceremony held at the Assembly Hall of the University of Barcelona on November 5, presented by the Catalan journalists Xavi Coral and Espartac Peran. The event was chaired by the Catalan Minister of Health, Boi Ruiz; the vice-chancellor of the University of Barcelona, Dídac Ramírez, and the president of the Catalan Broadcasting Corporation and La Marató de TV3 Foundation, Brauli Duart. The researcher of the Blood and Tissue Bank Joan Garcia López thanked on behalf of the researchers that received funding awards.
Projects
In the 2011 edition, La Marató raised eight million euros to finance 29 projects carried out by 56 research teams. Among the projects receiving funding, 8 are unitary and 21 are coordinated between two or three research centres, involving the networking of Catalan research institutions with other national or international centres.
Among the research centres that have received funding, highlights the Clinic Hospital and the Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer, with seven winning projects; six of the Vall d’Hebron Hospital and Research Institute, and five for the Centre of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona. IDIBELL awarded professionals, who research at the Bellvitge University Hospital and at the University of Barcelona, have received funding to develop four projects:
- Immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory capacity of the complement regulatory C4BP isoform (B-): towards prevention of graft loss in transplant organs. Josep Maria Aran Perramon, IDIBELL. € 199,927
- Silencing immune costimulation in kidney transplantation. Josep Maria Grinyó Boira, IDIBELL-Bellvitge University Hospital. € 200,000
- Expansion and redifferentiation of cultured pancreatic beta cells in autoasamblables peptide nanofibers for transplanting insulin-producing cells in diabetes. Eduard Montanya Mias, IDIBELL-Bellvitge University Hospital. Carlos Eduardo Semino Margrett, Chemical Institute of Sarrià URL. € 299,221
- Bone regeneration for dental stem cells. Francesc Ventura Pujol, IDIBELL-University of Barcelona. Corrado Paganelli, Dental School Brescia. € 252,625
The awarded researchers will work during the next three years to advance research in the field of organ and tissue transplants. The results obtained in these 29 projects will be presented in 2017, in a scientific symposium organized by La Marató de TV3 Foundation.