IDIBELL researcher Josep Maria Aran and his research group will receive 100,000 euros from the aid Product from the AGAUR agency of the Generalitat de Catalunya. These grants are directed to obtain prototypes, the valuation, and transfer of the results obtained by research teams in Catalonia.

In Dr. Aran’s project, they will study two molecules that act on the immune system as possible treatments for autoimmune diseases. These molecules have been shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory and tolerogenic activity.

In autoimmune diseases, such as Lupus, the self-tolerance of the immune system is lost. Consequently, the immune system does not recognize the body’s tissues as its own and attacks them. The molecules proposed by Dr. Aran’s team act specifically on the cells responsible of generating this self-tolerance, preventing the attack on the body.

These molecules are very stable in the circulation, which permits its direct administration. Also, in the first tests, these molecules shown high efficacy, specificity, and safety, inducing fewer side effects than classic immunosuppressive treatments to treat this type of disease.

The project is supported by the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Department of Business and Knowledge of the Generalitat de Catalunya (file 2019PROD00081). It also has the institutional support of the CERCA Program/Generalitat de Catalunya. The project has been co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).