On January 23rd, the Bellvitge Campus hosted the first joint Conference on Translational Medicine and Regenerative Medicine. The conference brought together leading professionals from the two organizing institutions, the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and the Bellvitge University Hospital (HUB), with the main objective of promoting synergy between both disciplines, increasing the knowledge generated in each one and creating new opportunities for research and collaboration.
The event took place in the Sala Gran of the Bellvitge University Hospital, which provided the right space for the exchange of ideas between professionals. Throughout the day, three roundtables on various topics were led by researchers from different IDIBELL groups, guaranteeing a rich and multidisciplinary approach.
In the first roundtable, on organ dysfunction and possible regenerative pathways, experts in cardiovascular diseases (Ángel Raya and Josep Comín), kidney diseases (Carolina Florian and Josep María Cruzado) and digestive diseases (Jordi Guiu and Sebastiano Biondo) presented the latest advances in the use of stem cells and other regenerative therapies to treat the corresponding diseases. In the second, of a more participatory and open nature, several researchers from IDIBELL (Julián Cerón, Francesca Matteini, Rebecca Andersson, Pilar Villacampa, Núria Padullés and Susana Asensio) briefly presented the active works of the Translational and Regenerative Medicine programs, reviewing and sharing the latest developments. Finally, in the third and final table, on alteration, repair and cellular regulatory pathways, the applications of microbiota regulation (Sara Martí and Jordi Guiu), the role of hematopoietic stem cells and the treatment of hematological diseases (Alessandra Giorgetti and Anna Sureda), and disease models and their possible applications in the field of the respiratory system (Anna Veiga and Maria Molina) were explored.
The day concluded with a joint discussion, moderated by Dr. Ángel Raya, coordinator of the Regenerative Medicine program at IDIBELL (Regenbell), where new horizons in translational and regenerative research were explored and debated.
Overall, this first joint day was a fruitful way to begin building relationships between different areas. Not only did it demonstrate the importance of collaboration between IDIBELL research programs to address diseases and their research from a comprehensive perspective, but it also contributed to positioning the Bellvitge Campus as a benchmark in the fields of translational and regenerative medicine.
The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) is a biomedical research center created in 2004. It is participated by the Bellvitge University Hospital and the Viladecans Hospital of the Catalan Institute of Health, the Catalan Institute of Oncology, the University of Barcelona and the City Council of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.
IDIBELL is a member of the Campus of International Excellence of the University of Barcelona HUBc and is part of the CERCA institution of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 2009 it became one of the first five Spanish research centers accredited as a health research institute by the Carlos III Health Institute. In addition, it is part of the “HR Excellence in Research” program of the European Union and is a member of EATRIS and REGIC. Since 2018, IDIBELL has been an Accredited Center of the AECC Scientific Foundation (FCAECC).