Sights set on the next generation of shuttle peptides to target the brain Blog Post

IRB Barcelona scientists Benjamí Oller, Macarena Sánchez, Ernest Giralt, and Meritxell Teixidó, all from the Peptides and Proteins Lab of the Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Programme, have written a review on the emerging field of shuttle peptides—molecules that have the capacity to transport drugs across the blood-brain barrier and thus treat diseases affecting the central nervous system. The article will be featured on the cover of September’s issue of Chemical Society Reviews.

 

Researchers at IRB Barcelona discover the hidden potential of disordered proteins Blog Post

Prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s…these three diseases are associated with proteins that share a common feature, namely disordered regions that have no apparent rigid three-dimensional structure. In spite of the potential of these regions as therapeutic targets, it was believed that drugs could not be directed to them. But now scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), based at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), have rediscovered their utility as drug targets. 

 

The Biotechnology Business Institute expands its masters programs Blog Post

Following the success of the Master in Project Management applied to biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry –which is now in the third edition–and the growing professional demand for health science profiles with knowledge in applied management, the Biotechnology Business Institute -based at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB)- is expanding its continuing education offer with two new programs: the Master in Marketing Management and the Master in Business Management.

 

Vision restoration by molecular prostheses Blog Post

The groups of Pau Gorostiza, ICREA Research Professor in IBEC at PCB and Amadeu Llebaria of IQAC-CSIC have developed molecules that can be applied as light-regulated molecular prostheses to help restore vision in cases of retinal degeneration. Marina Gay, Senior Research Officer in the IRB Barcelona Mass Spec & Proteomics Facility at PCB, has also contributed to a study to develop molecular prostheses to restore sight.

 

New multicomponent reactions to design active compounds against trypanosomiasis Blog Post

The high-impact chemical journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition presents a scientific work on multicomponent reactions of great interest to obtain new active compounds against parasites causing trypanosomiasis. The new research project is led by Professor Rodolfo Lavilla, from the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences of the University of Barcelona (UB), and member of the group ChemBio Lab (UB) with headquarters in the Barcelona Science Park (PCB).

 

Minoryx Therapeutics Initiates Phase 1 clinical trial of MIN-102 Blog Post

Minoryx Therapeutics, a drug development company specialized in the discovery and development of new drugs for orphan diseases, today announces the initiation of its first-in-man Phase 1clinical trial for its lead compound MIN-102. The company –located at TecnoCampus Mataró-Maresme, with laboratories at Barcelona Science Park (PCB)– will harness its unique mechanism of action for potential use in X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD), a genetic disease characterized by progressive neurologic deterioration with no available pharmacological treatment. 

 

Using 3D printing to produce crucial biomedical research tools Blog Post

IBEC Director Josep Samitier and the Technology Transfer unit introduced IBEC’s 3D bioprinting capabilities at the first IN(3D)USTRY: From Needs to Solutions event, which was held at Fira Barcelona last week. IBEC’s 3D bioprinter is the only one offering the level of precision and characteristics requred for regenerative medicine purposes in southern Europe, and one of very few on the continent. It promises to put IBEC –based at Barcelona Science Park (PCB)– at the forefront of a new revolution in regenerative medicine by allowing researchers to add biological properties to implanted tissues such as bone, and may eventually be able to manufacture entire organs for transplantation.

 

Around 40 migraine-related genes identified Blog Post

Up to this date only 13 migraine-related genes were known and now a study of Nature Genetics proves the contribution of these 10 genes and adds 28 more to the candidate list. In the international work, focused on the analysis of common genetic migraine variants on people, there is the participation of Professor Bru Cormand and the collaborator Cèlia Sintas, from the Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics and the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), located at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB).

 

Biocat and Leitat will coordinate two of the five RIS3CAT Communities Blog Post

The RIS3CAT Community for Digital applications in biotechnology and health therapies –coordinated by Biocat from its headquarters at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB)– is one of the first RIS3CAT Communities to which Government of Catalonia, through ACCIÓ, has allocated 19.1 million Euros from the ERDF fund (European Regional Development Fund). Leitat –whose BioMed Division is based at PCB– will also coordinate a further RIS3CAT Community for New diagnostic devices and big data applied to health, in which Intelligent Pharma, located at PCB, leads one of the four projects: ‘Diabetes as an accelerator of cognitive derioration in Alzheimer´s disease: Integral approach and treatment adherence’.