Kidney Disease
Research group
Group Leader
Julio Pascual Santos
The Kidney Research Group (GREN) at IMIM belongs to the Nephrology Department of Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain. The Nephrology Department covers structured assistance to the renal patient in four areas: clinical nephrology, kidney transplantation, chronic kidney disease and hypertension-cardiovascular risk. The department has made a particular effort in the area of kidney transplantation, going from 29 procedures in 2009 to 116 in 2017, covering all transplant modalities (deceased donor, living donor, sensitized patients, ABO-incompatible, etc).
GREN also has a basic-translational lab, in which a number of biologists (pre and postdoc) work together with nephrology physicians to achieve research objectives in different specialized areas. It belongs to the Red de Investigación Renal (renal research network - REDinREN) and is recognized by AGAUR. The group aims to clarify mechanisms involved in the onset and progression of kidney diseases through preclinical research into in vivo and in vitro models. This makes it possible to study the molecular mechanisms involved, and will thus help us to identify the treatment targets and new strategies against kidney disease. We also aim to study new treatment targets and strategies in depth by performing controlled clinical trials and observational projects of great interest, while securing all levels of possible commitment: promoters, main researchers, collaboration in multicenter projects and own projects. Our research focuses mainly on three research areas: diabetic kidney disease and early markers of chronic kidney disease (M. J. Soler PI14/00557 and C. Barrios PI16/00620), resistant hypertension (A. Oliveras EC11-426 and PI16/01356) and new pathogenetic and therapeutic targets in the field of kidney transplantation (J. Pascual and M. Crespo PI13/00598, PI16/00617).
Members
Clara Barrios Barrera (Researcher)
Marta Crespo Barrio (Researcher)
Javier Gimeno Beltrán (Researcher)
Anna Oliveras Serrano (Researcher)
María José Pérez Sáez (Researcher)
Dalia Raïch Regué (Researcher)
M. Dolores Redondo Pachón (Researcher)
Marta Riera Oliva (Researcher)
M. José Soler Romeo (Researcher)
Susana Vázquez González (Researcher)
Silvia Collado Nieto (PhD Student)
Laura Llinàs Mallol (PhD Student)
Vanesa Palau González (PhD Student)
Laia Sans Atxer (PhD Student)
Sara Álvarez Morales (Technician)
Carlos Enrique Arias Cabrales (Technician)
David Benito Guasch (Technician)
Anna Faura Vendrell (Technician)
Montserrat Folgueiras López (Technician)
Eva Rodríguez García (Technician)
Adriana Sierra Ochoa (Technician)
Maria Vera Casanova (Technician)
Berta Xargay Niubó (Technician)
Main Publications
• Sintes J, Gentile M, Zhang S, García-Carmona Y, Magri G, Cassis L, Segura-Garzón D, Ciociola A, Grasset EK, Bascones S, Comerma L, Pybus M, Lligé D, Puga I, Gutzeit C, He B, DuBois W, Crespo M, Pascual J, Mensa A, Aróstegui JI, Juan M, Yagüe J, Serrano S, Lloreta J, Meffre E, Hahne M, Cunningham-Rundles C, Mock BA, Cerutti A. mTOR intersects antibody-inducing signals from TACI in marginal zone B cells. Nat Commun 2017; 8: 1462. IF 12.124. D1.
• Banegas JR, Ruilope LM, de la Sierra A, Vinyoles E, Gorostidi M, de la Cruz JJ, Segura J, Oliveras A, Martell N, García-Puig J, Williams B. Clinic Versus Daytime Ambulatory Blood Pressure Difference in Hypertensive Patients: The Impact of Age and Clinic Blood Pressure. Hypertension 2017; 69(2): 211-219. IF 6.857. D1.
• Clotet S, Soler MJ, Riera M, Pascual J, Fang F, Zhou J, Batruch I, Vasiliou SK, Dimitromanolakis A, Barrios C, Diamandis E, Scholey J, Konvalinka A. SILAC-Based Proteomics of Primary Human Kidney Cells Reveals a Novel Link between Male Sex Hormones and Impaired Energy Metabolism in Diabetic Kidney Disease. Mol Cell Proteomics 2017; 16(3): 368-385. IF 6.54. D1.
• López-Botet M, Vilches C, Redondo D, Muntasell A, Pupuleku A, Yélamos J, Pascual J, Crespo M. Dual Role of Natural Killer Cells on Graft Rejection and Control of Cytomegalovirus Infection in Renal Transplantation. Front Immunol 2017; 8: 166. IF 6.429. Q1.
• Redondo D, Crespo M, Yélamos J, Muntasell A, Pérez-Sáez MJ, Vila JS, Vilches C, Pascual J, López-Botet M. Adaptive NKG2C+ NK Cell Response and the Risk of Cytomegalovirus Infection in Kidney Transplant Recipients. J Immunol 2017; 198(1): 94-101. IF 4.856. Q1.
• Keser T, Vuckovic F, Barrios C, Zierer J, Wahl A, Akinkuolie AO, Stambuk J, Nakic N, Pavic T, Perisa J, Mora S, Gieger C, Menni C, Spector TD, Gornik O, Lauc G. Effects of statins on the immunoglobulin G glycome. BBA-Gen Subjects 2017; 1861(5) Part A: 1152-1158. IF 4.702. Q1.
• De la Sierra A, Pareja J, Fernández-Llama P, Armario P, Yun S, Acosta E, Calero F, Vázquez S, Blanch P, Sierra C, Oliveras A. Twenty-four-hour central blood pressure is not better associated with hypertensive target organ damage than 24-h peripheral blood pressure. J Hypertens 2017; 35(10): 2000-2005. IF 4.085. Q1.
• Pérez-Sáez MJ, Herrera S, Prieto-Alhambra D, Nogués X, Vera M, Redondo D, Mir M, Güerri-Fernández R, Crespo M, Díez-Pérez A, Pascual J. Bone density, microarchitecture and tissue quality long-term after kidney transplant. Transplantation 2017; 101(6): 1290-1294. IF 3.678. Q1.
• Pérez-Sáez MJ, Montero N, Redondo-Pachón D, Crespo M, Pascual J. Strategies for an expanded use of kidneys from elderly donors. Transplantation 2017; 101(4): 727-745. IF 3.678. Q1.
• Sans-Atxer L, Radosevic A, Quintian C, Montañés R, Gràcia S, Vilaplana C, Mojal S, Ballarín JA, Fernández-Llama P, Torra R, Pascual J. Cystatin C estimated glomerular filtration rate to assess renal function in early stages of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. PLoS ONE 2017; 12(3): e0174583. IF 2.806. Q1.
Ongoing Research Projects
• Adherencia terapéutica en Hipertensión Arterial no controlada: detección selectiva y eficacia y efectividad de un programa para mejorar el cumplimiento (Athan)
- Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria. ISCIII (PI16/01356)
- From 2017 to 2019
- Principal investigator: Oliveras Serrano, Anna
• Anticuerpos HLA y no HLA en el rechazo del trasplante renal y mecanismos de lesión
- Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria. ISCIII (PI16/00617). From 2017 to 2019
- Principal investigator: Pascual Santos, Julio
• Estudio de metabolómica y glicómica para la identificación de biomarcadores de función y daño renal en la diabetes mellitus tipo 2
- Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria. ISCIII (PI16/00620)
- From 2017 to 2019
- Principal investigator: Barrios Barrera, Clara
• Estudi multicèntric, aleatoritzat per avaluar l'eficàcia de la individualització del risc immunològic basat en Biomarcadors selectius (Disparitat d'Eplets HLA i Elispot IFN-Y), per optimitzar el tractament immunosupressor en pacients trasplantats renals de donant viu (BIOIMMUN)
- Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya (SLT002/16/00183)
- From 2017 to 2019
- Principal investigator: Crespo Barrio, Marta
• Papel del ADAM17 y "shedding" del ECA2 en la Nefropatía diabética
- Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria. ISCIII (PI14/00557)
- From 2015 to 2018
- Principal investigator: Soler Romeo, M. José
• Análisis prospectivo de la respuesta humoral y celular en el trasplante renal y su impacto en la disfunción crónica del injerto
- Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria. ISCIII (PI13/00598)
- From 2014 to 2018
- Principal investigator: Pascual Santos, Julio
Participation in Research Networks
• Red de Investigación Renal (REDINREN)
- Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria. ISCIII. Subprograma RETICS. RD16/0009/0013
- Principal investigator: Pascual Santos, Julio
Group’s Recognitions
• Officially recognized as a consolidated research group the Generalitat de Catalunya: Grup de Recerca en Nefropaties (GREN) (2017-2019)
- Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (SGR 430)
- Principal investigator: Pascual Santos, Julio
Clinical Trials Signed in 2017
• Ensayo Clínico para Evaluar el Efecto de Dapagliflozina sobre el Riesgo de Eventos Renales y Mortalidad Cardiovascular en Pacientes con Enfermedad Renal Crónica
- Register: D169AC00001
- Principal investigator: Soler Romeo, M. José
• Estudio de fase III randomizado, doble ciego y controlado con placebo para evaluar la seguridad y la eficacia de CCX168 (avacopán) en pacientes con vasculitis asociada a anticuerpos citoplásmicos antineutrofílicos (ANCA) tratados de forma concomitante con rituximab o ciclofosfamida/azatioprina
- Register: CL010_168
- Principal investigator: Soler Romeo, M. José
• Estudio de 52 semanas aleatorizado, abierto (con el promotor enmascarado), con control activo, en grupos paralelos, multicéntrico para evaluar la seguridad y eficacia de daprodustat en comparación con eritropoyetina recombinante humana en pacientes con anemia asociada a enfermedad renal crónica que inician diálisis
- Register: 201410
- Principal investigator: Pascual Santos, Julio
• Contribución de la función renal a la disfunción endotelial mediante el estudio de dos cohortes: donantes renales vivos y sus receptores de trasplante
- Register: CONFUCIUS
- Principal investigator: Crespo Barrio, Marta
• Ensayo clínico de suspensión de la profilaxis con valganciclovir en trasplantados renales CMV-seropositivo que mantienen la inmunidad celular CD8+ CMV-especifica tras recibir timoglobulina
- Register: FCO-TIM-2015-01
- Principal investigator: Redondo Pachón, María Dolores
Theses
• Jan B. The role of Kindlin-2 in the progression of renal fibrosis. Pompeu Fabra University
- Directors: Pascual Santos, Julio; Riera Oliva, Marta
- Date of defense: 15/12/2017
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info@imim.es