Immunodeficiencies and Immunology of Transplants

Description

The Research Group in Immunodeficiencies and Transplantation Immunology was initially formed by professionals of the Immunology, Pediatrics and Organ Transplantation Areas of the Hospital 12 de Octubre with a view to developing scientific activities in the line of transplantation immunodeficiencies and immunology. Following its creation and evaluation by the i+12 Institute in 2009, it was formally qualified as a “consolidated group” on the basis of its solid and long-standing history. The research group is currently comprised by a total of 20 researchers (pre-doctoral, post-doctoral, junior and senior researchers). Five professionals of this group often raise funds for research and work as the principal investigators of a total of 12 projects that have been approved in competitive calls over the last 5 years. The group publishes regularly in international scientific journals (36 publications in 2016). In addition, it directs bachelor’s/master’s and doctoral theses (2 and 6 respectively in 2016). In 2013, it received a grant issued by the Healthcare Research Fund-Healthcare Institute Carlos III (FIS-ISCIII, Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria – Instituto de Salud Carlos III) along with another 6 research groups of the i+12 Institute for an Excellence Project concerning Organ Transplantation. Moreover, it holds the Spanish patent for a product designed to treat a primary immunodeficiency (ES253504). It frequently participates in research projects being carried out at a European level (it is currently involved in project DRKS000000497 of the Albert Ludwigs Universität of Freiburg, Germany: “A prospective outcome study on patients with profound combined immunodeficiency”) and is part of European initiative COST-Mye-Euniter (European Network of Investigators Triggering Exploratory Research on Myeloid Regulatory Cells).

Scientific objectives and lines of work

• Immunodeficiencies Line: to analyze primary immunodeficiencies at a genetic, molecular and functional level with the aim of identifying diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic tools, and to understand the physiological operation of molecules and pathways of the immune system based on the study of these patients as “natural human mutations”.
• Transplantation Immunology Line: to study the immunological factors involved in graft rejection, infections, tolerance and survival, as well as in other aspects of its evolution, that may allow for identifying clinically useful predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets.