Immunology of Diabetes
Marta Vives-Pi
The multidisciplinary Immunology of Diabetes Group at the IGTP is part of the Immunology Section of the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital (HUGTiP). It is made up of researchers, endocrinologists, paediatricians and technicians; the group works to understand more about the causes of type 1 diabetes. The research of the group is focused on translational research: Immunotherapies for the prevention and treatment of Type 1 diabetes, pathogenic mechanisms of autoimmunity and paediatric type 1 diabetes: tolerance, spontaneous remission and biomarkers. Their goal is to contribute to therapeutic intervention in type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases.
The principal investigator, Marta Vives-Pi (MSc, PhD), has been working in the field of autoimmune diseases since 1988. Since 1996 she has been leading different research projects, with special emphasis on the development of experimental immunotherapies. In 2000 she started the specific pathogen free Unit (SPF) at the IGTP for the study of experimental models of type 1 diabetes. M. Vives-Pi is also the co-founder and Scientific Director of Ahead Therapeutics SL a spin-off company set up to transfer the immunotherapy technology generated by the group to the clinical arena and convert know-how into treatments for autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.
Group Members
Marta Vives-Pi, mvives(ELIMINAR)@igtp.cat, Group Leader and PI
Silvia Rodríguez-Fernández,srodriguez(ELIMINAR)@igtp.cat, Postdoctoral Investigator
David Perna-Barrull, dperna(ELIMINAR)@igtp.cat, Postdoctoral Investigator
Rosa M Ampudia, rampudia(ELIMINAR)@igtp.cat, Research Technician
Laia Gómez-Muñoz, lgomez(ELIMINAR)@igtp.cat, Predoctoral Investigator
Publications
Research lines
Immunotherapies for the prevention and treatment of type 1 diabetes
The line of research aims to stop the autoimmune response using innovative therapies to re-establish the cellular tolerance of the insulin-producing cells.
Pathogenic mechanisms of autoimmunity
This line of research aims to identify the mechanisms of the specific immune responsible for destruction of insulin-producing beta cells, with special atention to prenatal environmental factors.
Pediatric type 1 diabetes: tolerance, spontaneous remission and biomarkers
The aim of this line is to explore mechanisms of tolerance restablishment in children at the onset of the disease, and to define new biomarkers of remission.
Projects
A new dawn for type 1 diabetes: Combining a nanotherapy to halt autoimmunity with beta-cell regenerationCode: 201632_10
|
Biomarcadores de remisión parcial en pacientes con diabetes tipo 1. Aplicación en monitorización inmunológica y ensayos clínicosBiomarkers of partial remission in patients with type 1 diabetes for immune-monitoring and intervention trialsCode: PI18/00436
|
Terapia contra la autoinmunidad para la prevención y la curación de la diabetes tipo 1. Nanopartículas tipo liposoma que re-educan el sistema inmunológico para permitir la regeneración de las células betaCode: Cer001
|
CIBERDEM IGTP ProjectCode: CB15/00071
|
Spin-off Company
Member of the Working Group Pancreatic Islets of the Spanish Diabetes Society
News
Two studies from the Immunology group on autoimmunity and hematopoietic stem cells show promising therapeutic potential
The first study, published in Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, seeks a strategy to safely and definitevely restore self-tolerance in autoimmune diseases; the second, in Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis, bets on making the most of umbilical cord blood cells, key against hematological diseases
No increased risk of diabetes type 1 for children of women treated with betamethasone during pregnancy
The Immunology of Diabetes group have published a study evaluating the effect of prenatal exposure to betamethasone on the risk of developing diabetes type 1 in the Journal of Diabetes Research.
More information
Contact
Marta Vives-Pi, PhD, Principal Investigator
(+34) 93 033 05 25