SUMMARY

Research lines of the group are focused to investigate the mechanisms of disease involved in tubular injury/dysfunction, tubular regeneration, cancer and fibrosis in several clinical scenarios that include: i) rare inherited kidney diseases (tubulopathies); ii) acute kidney injury promoted by nephrotoxicants and ischemia; iii) hypertension and metabolic processes that drive to chronic kidney diseases and fibrosis and iv) renal cell carcinoma. Part of the group investigates the molecular basis of idiopatic focal segmental glomeruloesclerosis (FSGS). We are interested to determine the role of androgens on the severity of kidney diseases since there are more men than women suffering end stage renal disease and cancer, and there are proven evidences of androgen deleterious effects in the kidney in experimental models. In 2014 we have been able to fully integrate and consolidate a group of investigators that include clinical nephrologists and urologists from the Vall d’Hebron Hospital, as well as basic Ph.D. researchers. By promoting the interaction between scientists and clinicians we can focus better on clinically relevant research and the importance of translating our results to the clinic. In 2014, we have been able to raise competitive projects for rare inherited kidney diseases joining efforts with Patients Associations, including Asdent, which is strongly supporting our group, and Hipofam. Other projects in the lab focused on renal cancer and the mechanisms of kidney injury and regeneration have also been financed, as well as a project on focal segmental glomeruloesclerosis. 

Our major scientific contribution from this year has been a manuscript in Cancer Research describing novel pathways of renal cancer progression, as well as, a novel independent prognostic biomarker that would change the way renal cancer patients with localized tumors could be treated upon surgery. The biomarker distinguishes the patients with localized renal cell carcinoma that will die shortly after nephrectomy (less to 2-year) versus those that will survive the cancer for long periods of time (more than 10-year). Currently, none of those patients receive therapy after surgery and 30% of them will develop metastasis and die from the disease. The novel targeted therapies for renal cell carcinoma treatment are expensive and are not indicated for all patients. Since 70% of the patients are not going to develop metastasis after surgery, there is no point to treat patients that would not benefit from the therapies but only suffer their adverse effects. We propose that this biomarker shall be useful to identify the population of patients at risk to develop metastasis and therefore those that are susceptible to be treated. We have obtained a patent on diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of renal cell carcinoma that is now under licensing agreement negotiations with several companies. This patent was awarded second prize at the Valortec Contest of the Generalitat de Catalunya 2014 (ACCIÓ) and was award finalist at the VHIR Innovation Contest 2014.

PUBLICATIONS

PATENTS