hna Foundation collaborates with IDIBELL’s research on inflammatory bowel diseases, specifically the group on “Immuno-inflammatory Processes and Gene Therapy”, led by Dr. Josep Maria Aran. This donation will promote the development of a new drug for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) treatment, as highlighted by the researcher, who has transmitted his great gratitude to the Foundation.

In Spain, the incidence of IBD is 16 cases per 100,000 people/year, which means approximately 10,000 new cases each year. Autoinflammatory diseases correspond to an abnormal regulation of the immune system that causes persistent inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. IBDs place a significant burden on the health system. On the other hand, current treatments are ineffective and have very significant side effects.

Dr. Aran’s group has discovered a protein that induces a transition from a pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory state of immune cells, which could slow down the progression of these diseases. The compound corresponds to a restructuration of a regulatory protein of the innate immune system, our body’s first line of defense.

With this project funded by hna Foundation, the researchers intend to develop and characterize this new biological immunomodulator through cutting-edge technologies