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“La Marató” awards funding to two IRB Barcelona projects on obesity and diabetes

By 3 de November de 2016No Comments
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Joan J. Guinovart and Antonio Zorzano are among the 34 projects awarded by the 2015 edition of La Marató de TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio.
 03.11.2016

“La Marató” awards funding to two IRB Barcelona projects on obesity and diabetes

Today the "Fundació La Marató de TV3" has announced the 34 winning projects out of 117 presented for funding in the 2015 campaign devoted to obesity and diabetes in an award presentation ceremony held at the Acadèmia de Ciències Mèdiques i de la Salut de Catalunya i de Balears, in Barcelona. The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), based at the Barcelona Science Park, has received funding for the two projects that it presented.

 

Antonio Zorzano, coordinator of the Molecular Medicine Programme and leader of the laboratoryComplex metabolic diseases and mitochondria, will head the study entitled “Mechanisms responsible for the deficient differentiation capacity of adipose tissue-derived stem cells in obesity”. The board of La Marató has granted 300,000€ for this project, which will be coordinated together with Dr. Sonia Fernández Velado at the Hospital Universitario Joan XXIII, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Pere Virgili de Reus.

Joan J. Guinovart will lead the project “Liver glycogen, a novel target to treat diabetes and obesity “, which has received 200,000 €. Members of his Metabolic Engineering and Therapy Lab at IRB Barcelona will be involved in this research.

Since 2005, the year IRB Barcelona was founded, scientists at the centre have been awarded funding for 21 projects. Of these, six are still underway—four on cancer and two on neurodegenerative disease. These two newly awarded projects on diabetes and obesity can now be added to this long list.
 

The two most common metabolic diseases in Catalonia

The 57 teams that will receive finding from La Marató to carry out the 34 winning projects will devote the next three years to furthering knowledge of the causes, treatments, prevention and cure of diabetes and obesity, the two most common metabolic diseases in Catalonia, affecting one in every four people.

The 2015 edition of La Marató de TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio – which raised  9,469,226€– will promote intensive research activity that will have a direct impact on the quality of life of those affected and their families.