Three members of the Infections and Cancer research group of IDIBELL and the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) have received funding for three research projects on the human papillomavirus (HPV). Thanks to these international grants, which total €1,755,713, it will be possible to improve the prevention and treatment of infection through new innovative strategies, and the role of both institutions as benchmarks in the fight against HPV and associated cancers will be reinforced.
HPV-FASTER-implement, improving the prevention of cervical cancer in vulnerable groups
The HPV-FASTER-implement project, led by Claudia Robles and Paula Peremiquel, aims to improve the prevention of cervical cancer in vulnerable groups through the two most effective preventive strategies: HPV vaccination and early detection. The study focuses on different vulnerable populations in five European countries, namely Denmark, France, Romania, Spain and Sweden. In the case of Spain, the study is led by ICO and focuses specifically on migrant women and sex workers.
The study aims to identify the barriers that hinder access to these preventive measures to implement strategies in these specific groups and to be able to promote participation in prevention programs. This study has been funded by the European Commission with €597,531.25.
IMPROVE-HPV, a study of barriers and vaccine hesitancy
On the other hand, the IMPROVE-HPV, coordinated by the researcher Miquel Angel Pavón, studies the barriers to the adoption of the HPV vaccine and the impact of new strategies to improve its coverage and reduce hesitancy. Building on existing vaccination programmes in Tanzania and Nigeria, the project will assess the efficacy and acceptability of vaccination in adolescent girls (with one or two doses) and gender-neutral vaccination with a single dose for adolescent girls and boys.
This project has been funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, a partnership between the governments of 15 European countries, 30 African countries and the European Commission, and has obtained €251,775.74.
RIFT-TZ, on the effect of vaccination in infected women to reduce transmission
Finally, the RIFT-TZ project, also under the direction of Miquel Angel Pavón, will investigate whether vaccinating women already infected with HPV can reduce the infectivity of viral particles released in the cervical epithelium, thus decreasing the transmission of the virus to other people. The project also includes a clinical trial in Mwanza (Tanzania), an area with a high prevalence of the HPV virus, aimed at analysing the infectious capacity of cervical samples obtained before and after the administration of a dose of the vaccine. It should be noted that the analysis of the samples collected during this clinical trial will be centralised in the Infections and Cancer Laboratory of IDIBELL-ICO.
The RIFT-Z project, led by IDIBELL and ICO, has the collaboration of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Mwanza Interventional Trial Unit and is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with €906,406.71.
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).