{"id":93682,"date":"2024-03-06T11:35:48","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T10:35:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pcb.ub.edu\/launch-of-a-pioneering-programme-in-europe-to-accelerate-the-translation-of-research-into-clinical-practice\/"},"modified":"2024-03-11T11:49:36","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T10:49:36","slug":"the-irb-barcelona-launches-a-pioneering-translational-research-programme-in-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pcb.ub.edu\/en\/the-irb-barcelona-launches-a-pioneering-translational-research-programme-in-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"The IRB Barcelona launches a pioneering translational research programme in Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"

The IRB Barcelona<\/a>, based in the Barcelona Science Park, has launched the TRIP- Clinics<\/a> project within the framework of the Translational Research Innovation Programme (TRIP<\/a>), promoted by the institute with the support of the “la Caixa” Foundation and the Department of Health of the Government of Catalonia. The innovative initiative aims aims to promote research groups led by at least one scientist devoted to fundamental science and a physician who combines research with clinical practice.<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the most complex challenges in international biomedical research is how to transfer the knowledge generated in research centres to clinical practice, and vice versa, in the most efficient and timely manner possible. This process, known as translational research, has been tackled worldwide through various approaches, including placing fundamental research centres in hospitals to encourage collaboration between the two settings and the development of joint projects.<\/p>\n

The innovative project proposed by IRB Barcelona within the framework of the pilot TRIP programme (Translational Research Innovation Programme) aims to promote research groups led by at least one scientist devoted to fundamental science and a physician who combines research with clinical practice. The TRIP project has been boosted with the support of \u201cla Caixa\u201d Foundation and the Dept. of Health of the Government of Catalonia.<\/p>\n

In this first call, \u201cla Caixa\u201d Foundation has provided \u20ac1.2 M of funding over three years to kick-start out of the three laboratories. The first laboratory is formed by\u00a0Dr. Roger Gomis<\/strong>\u00a0(IRB Barcelona), together with\u00a0Drs. Aleix Prat<\/strong>,\u00a0Laura Angelats\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Sonia Guedan<\/strong>\u00a0(IDIBAPS), while the second is formed by\u00a0Dr. Salvador Aznar Benitah<\/strong>\u00a0(IRB Barcelona) and\u00a0Drs. Cristina Saura<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Isabel Pimentel\u00a0<\/strong>(Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO)). The Department of Health of the Government of Catalonia subsidises the part of the TRIP clinics sub programme that has allowed the creation of the laboratory comprising\u00a0Dr. Cristina Mayor-Ruiz<\/strong>\u00a0(IRB Barcelona) and\u00a0Dr. Cesar Serrano<\/strong>\u00a0(VHIO).<\/p>\n

“This project will allow us to accelerate the translation of fundamental research to clinical practice, enabling it to have an impact on society sooner. Bringing together fundamental research and clinical groups in a single space to address complex diseases, such as cancer, is a paradigm shift compared to what was done until now,” explained\u00a0Dr. Francesc Posas<\/strong>, director of IRB Barcelona.<\/p>\n

Promote the integration of basic and clinical research\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Launched by IRB Barcelona with the support of \u201dla Caixa\u201d Foundation, through the “CaixaResearch Clinical Translation” initiative, and the Department of Health of the\u00a0Government of Catalonia, the Translational Research and Innovation Programme (TRIP<\/a>) is a strategic action to transfer knowledge generated in the Institute’s laboratories to clinical practice in the most efficient and fastest manner. To this end, TRIP focuses on promoting emerging fields of research such as immuno-oncology, inflammation, and cellular senescence. TRIP is divided into two complementary lines of action.<\/p>\n

On one hand, the TRIP-Clinics<\/strong> sub-programme is based on defining joint research projects between scientists at IRB Barcelona and physician-scientists at hospitals in Catalonia. This formula promotes fundamental and clinical research in the same environment, thereby facilitating collaborative access to knowledge, technological resources, and applicability. TRIP is the first project of its kind in Spain and a pioneering initiative in Europe. This integration is expected to lead to the development of new diagnostic or therapeutic tools, or the improvement of existing ones, potentially leading to new patents, the establishment of biotechnological companies, or product licensing.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the second line, the TRIP-Preclinics<\/strong> sub-programme, involves the incorporation of junior group leaders to start new laboratories focused on emerging strategic fields\u00a0 The junior group leaders are selected by an international committee. Researchers who have recently opened a laboratory at IRB Barcelona within TRIP include Dr. Stefanie Wculek<\/strong>, who heads a laboratory devoted to immunology and supported by \u20ac900,000 from \u201cla Caixa\u201d Foundation;\u00a0Dr. Direna Alonso-Curbelo<\/strong>, who focuses on inflammation and its relation to cancer and ageing; and\u00a0Dr. Alejo Rodriguez-Fraticelli<\/strong>, whose research centres on epigenomics and cell lineage tracing.<\/p>\n

These fields are considered priority and could be defined as research opportunity niches.<\/p>\n

\u00bb Link to the news: <\/strong>IRB Barcelona website [+]<\/a><\/p>\n