Neuroimmunology
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Inflammatory and Cardiovascular Disorders Programme
Group Leader
José Enrique Martínez Rodríguez
The Neuroimmunology Group was created in 2018 after initially being developed within the IMIM's Immunity and Infection group. The group studies alterations of the immune system in neurological diseases using a translational approach centered on the patient’s clinical features. The Neuroimmunology Group is particularly interested in multiple sclerosis (MS) as a paradigmatic illness within the autoimmune pathologies of the central nervous system.
The group's current areas of research focus on the following:
• The study of chronic herpes virus infections in MS (Epstein-Barr virus, Cytomegalovirus) and their imprint on the Natural Killer (NK) cell compartment, evaluating the potential development of biomarker predictors of activity and progression.
• The immunophenotypic and functional analysis of adaptive NK cell populations and their role in the immunopathology of MS.
• Phenotypic and functional study of subpopulations of T and B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of MS patients, evaluating their relationship with clinical characteristics and treatments that modify the clinical course of the disease.
• The immunology of neuromuscular disorders, with special interest in patients with myasthenia gravis.
The group currently receives funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (ISCIII Health Research Fund), and is part of the Spanish Network of Multiple Sclerosis (REEM). In addition, the Neuroimmunology Group has extensive experience in implementing phase II and III clinical trials using diverse immunomodulatory therapies on MS patients. The team comprises a principal investigator, three clinical researchers, and an advanced clinical practice nurse, who coordinates the clinical trials.
Research group
Members
Elvira Munteis Olivas (Researcher)
Mireia Llop Trujillano (Technician)
Antia Moreira Villanueva (Technician)
Andrea Vera Barrón (Technician)
Main Publications
• Ois A, Vivas E, Figueras-Aguirre G, Guimaraens L, Cuadrado-Godia E, Avellaneda C, Bertran-Recasens B, Rodríguez-Campello A, Gracia MP, Villalba G, Saldaña J, Capellades J, Fernández-Candil JL, Roquer J. Misdiagnosis Worsens Prognosis in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage with Good Hunt and Hess Score. Stroke 2019; 50(11): 3072-3076. IF: 6.046. D1.
• Moreira A, Alari-Pahissa E, Munteis E, Vera A, Zabalza A, Llop M, Villarrubia N, Costa-García M, Álvarez-Lafuente R, Villar LM, López-Botet M, Martínez-Rodríguez JE. Adaptive features of natural killer cells in multiple sclerosis. Front Immunol 2019; 10: 2403. IF 4.716. Q2.
Ongoing Research Projects
• Respuesta adaptativa mediada por células Natural Killer en la esclerosis múltiple
- Financing institution: Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria. ISCIII (PI17/00254)
- Period: from 2018 to 2020
- Principal investigator: Martínez Rodríguez, José Enrique
Participation in Research Networks
• Red Española de Esclerosis Múltiple
- Financing institutions: Instituto de Salud Carlos III, European Regional Development Fund (Grant RD16/0015/0011) the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad
- Principal investigator: López-Botet, Miguel
Clinical Trials Signed in 2019
• A phase III, multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of BX-1 for the symptomatic relief of spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis
- Protocol: DroSpas-1
- Sponsor: BIONORICA
- Budget: 36,500 €
- Principal investigator: Martínez Rodríguez, José Enrique
• Estudio observacional transversal con recogida de datos retrospectivos para valorar el impacto económico de la Esclerosis Múltiple Secundaria Progresiva
- Protocol: CBAF312AES01 / NOV-EMS-2019-01
- Sponsor: Novartis Farmacéutica, S.A.
- Budget: 2,925 €
- Principal investigator: Martínez Rodríguez, José Enrique
Outreach
Conferences, Seminars and Courses
• José Enrique Martínez Rodríguez. VII Jornada d’Actualització del Tractament i Diagnòstic de les Malaties Neurològiques més Prevalents: Esclerosi Múltiple. Societat Catalana de Neurologia. Mataró, November 2019.
2019
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(+34) 93 316 04 00
info@imim.es