About
The Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Research Group (GReMII, from its Catalan name Grup de Recerca en Malalties Inflamatòries Intestinals) is a multidisciplinary group led from the clinical side by Dr Eugeni Domènech, head of the Gastroenterology & Hepatology Department and the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) Unit at Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital (HUGTiP) and by Dr Josep Manyé Almero, Principal Investigator for Basic and Translational Research. The group is part of the CIBER Consortium (Spanish Ministry of Science) as well as part of the IBDomics and ENEIDA Consortium for genomic research in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, of which Dr Domènech is the coordinator.
GReMII has conducted cutting-edge research over the last 30 years, integrating clinical and translational reseach. Thus, it has positioned itself as a national and international leader in holistic care for IBD patients, resulting in its recognition and excellence certification by the Ad Qualitatem Foundation. Lately, the group has initiated innovative research aimed at solving the severe and recurrent complications associated with both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease (CD). Understanding, innovating, explaining and training are important and integrated parts of our scientific task with a view to transferring our results to clinical practice. The team combines experts in different skills to ensure that research questions are tackled from the most experimental side (IGTP) to the most clinical side (HUGTiP). The research lines are based on innovative research tools, which allow us to generate new hypotheses aimed at the development of a more personalized medicine, better therapies and improved patient management.
Keywords: ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, epitranscriptomic biomarkers, corticosteroid resistance, postoperative recurrence, extracellular vesicles, creeping fat as a therapeutic target.
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Group leader
- Eugeni Domènech, MD, PhD
Eugeni Domènech, MD, PhD
Prof Eugeni Domènech started his research activity at the end of his training in gastroenterology as a research fellow at Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, from 1994 to 1999. His main field of research in those early years was portal hypertension, but in 1995 he started to focus on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). After initial research on the safety of several immunosuppressant-based treatment strategies in IBD, he started his two main research lines on: 1) the pathogenesis, prediction, prevention and management of postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease; and 2) the epidemiology, prediction and management of steroid refractoriness in ulcerative colitis. In recent years, GReMII (the acronym of the group in Catalan) initiated two new research lines; firstly, IBD in the elderly and the impact of IBD activity on frailty. More recently, the group started clinical and translational research on the role of adipose tissue (mainly visceral fat) in the pathogenesis and clinical outcomes of Crohn's disease.
Domènech is currently the head of the Gastroenterology & Hepatology Department at Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, the president of the Catalan Society of Gastroenterology & Hepatoogy, and professor of Medicine at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. He was the president of the Spanish Working Group in Crohn's and Colitis (GETECCU) and is one of the founders and current chair of the Spanish ENEIDA registry of GETECCU.
Contact: eugenidomenech(ELIMINAR)@gmail.com
ORCID: 0000-0002-2315-7196 - Josep Manyé, PhD
Josep Manyé, PhD
IGTP-CIBER researcher.
Contact: jmanye(ELIMINAR)@igtp.cat
ORCID: 0000-0002-3121-8016
Team
Researchers
Miriam Mañosa, MD, PhD(ELIMINAR)
Margalida Calafat, MD, PhD(ELIMINAR)
PhD students
Roger Suau(ELIMINAR)
Maria Puig, MD(ELIMINAR)
Gisela Piñero, MD(ELIMINAR)
Nurse
Laura Marín
Medical specialist
Jordina Llaó, MD, PhD(ELIMINAR)
Research lines
- Ageing and frailty in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Obesity and visceral fat in inflammatory bowel disease
- Faecal calprotectin in the monitoring of inflammatory bowel disease
- Epitranscriptomic biomarkers for steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis and for postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease
- Development of acellular therapies targeting adipose tissue for Crohn's disease
Active projects
VESICLEX: Matriu 3D enriquida amb vesícules extracel·lulars com a teràpia innovadora per la malaltia de Crohn
PIs: Josep Manyé (IGTP), Carolina Serena (IISPV)
Funding agency: AGAUR. Beca PRODUCTE-AGAUR
Duration: 2 years
Terapia basada en un biomaterial enriquecido con vesículas extracelulares para revertir la inflamación y facilitar la regeneración tisular en la enfermedad de Crohn
PI: Laura Clua (Adacyte Therapeutics/IBD group-IGTP/IBODI-IISPV)
Funding agency: Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2024-2027 - Ayudas para contratos Torres Quevedo 2025 (PTQ2024-013977)
Duration: 3 years
Vesículas extracelulares tolerogénicas de células madre para restaurar el papel protector del tejido adiposo mesentérico en la inflamación intestinal en la enfermedad de Crohn
PIs: Carolina Serena (IRB CatSud), Josep Manyé (IGTP)
Funding agency: Proyectos de Generación de conocimiento 2023. Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
Agency code: PID2023-146315OB-I00
Duration: 09/2024 – 09/2027
Evaluación de Estrategias No Invasivas para el Seguimiento Postquirúrgico en Enfermedad de Crohn. Estudio Follow
PI: Míriam Mañosa
Funding agency: Grupo Español de Trabajo en Enfermedad de Crohn y Colitis Ulcerosa (GETECCU). Beca GETECCU-Janssen para estudios multicéntricos.
Tolerogenic extracellular vesicles from stem cells restore the protective role of mesenteric adipose tissue against intestinal inflammation in Crohn's disease
PIs: Carolina Serrena/Josep Manyé
Funding agency: MICIU
Agency code: PID2023-146315OB-I00
Duration: 01/09/2024 – 31/09/2027
Proyecto PINERA multicéntrico sobre enfermedades raras. Integración del transcriptoma, metaboloma y microbioma para la identificación de nuevos biomarcadores en la Distrofia Miotónica tipo 1 (INTEGRA-DM1)
Coordinator PI: Arturo López (INCLIVA); PIs: Gisela Nogales (GRENBA-IGTP); Marta I. Roca (IIS La Fe); Josep Manyé (IBD group-IGTP)
Funding agency: Fundación Ramón Areces
Duration: 3 years
Discontinuation of Thiopurines in Elderly Patients with Ulcerative Colitis and Long Term Remission
PI: Margalida Calafat
Funding agency: Asociación Española de Gastroenterología (AEG) 2025. Beca Gonzalo Miño 2025
Duration: 2 years
Caracterización del perfil de isomiRs en enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal y su papel potencial como biomarcadores de respuesta a corticoides y de desarrollo de recurrencia postoperatoria
PIs: Eugeni Domènech, Lauro Sumoy
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII). Proyectos de investigación en salud
Agency code: PI22/01498
Duration: 01/2023-12/2025
Predoctoral Trainee in Health Research (R. Suau)
PI: Josep Manyé
Funding Agengy: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agengy code: FI23/00246
Duration: 01/01/2024 – 31/12/2026
Past projects
Assessment of isomiR profiles in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and their potential as biomarkers of corticoid response and postsurgical recurrence
PI: Eugeni Domènech
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agency code: PI22/01498
Duration: 2023 - 2025
Pathological involvement of ileal mesenteric fat in Crohn's disease: study of mechanism of transformation to creeping-fat and its potential as therapeutic target
PI: Josep Manyé
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agency code: PI20/00420
Duration: 01/01/2021 – 31/12/2024
Characterization of the isomiR profile in inflammatory bowel disease and its potential role as biomarkers of response to corticosteroids and in the development of postoperative recurrence
PIs: Eugeni Domènech/Lauro Sumoy
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agency code: PI22/01498
Duration: 01/01/2023 - 31/12/2025
Search for postsurgical recurrence biomarkers based on Systems Biology in Crohn's disease
PI: Míriam Mañosa
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agency code: PI18/00892
Duration: 2019 – 2023
Scientific publications
Highlighted 2025 publications
Cañete F, Vela E, Calafat M, Piera J, Mañosa M, Domènech E. Severe obesity, a susceptibility factor for developing inflammatory bowel disease: results of a population-based study. J Crohns Colitis. 2025 Feb 4;19(2):jjaf010. DOI: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf010.
Llaó J, Mañosa M, Martín-Arranz E, Zabana Y, Navarro-Llavat M, Téller M, Garcia-Planella E, Busquets D, Monfort D, Pineda JR, Gutiérrez A, Villoria A, Menchén L, Bastida G, García-Alonso FJ, Rivero M, Chaparro M, de Francisco R, Merino O, Rodríguez-Lago I, Barreiro-de Acosta M, Rodríguez-Fortúnez P, Rodríguez-Jiménez C, Calafat M, Domènech E; CECUM study group of the GETECCU. Addition of pulse corticosteroids to oral prednisone in moderately active ulcerative colitis: a randomized, multicentre, open-label study by GETECCU. J Crohns Colitis. 2025 Dec 5;19(11):jjaf182. DOI: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf182.
Mañosa M, Calafat M, Ricart E, Nos P, Iglesias E, Riestra S, Mesonero F, Calvo M, Guardiola J, Hernández V, Rivero M, Carpio D, Mínguez M, Alba C, Martín-Arranz MD, Vela M, Gomollón F, García-López S, Casbas AG, Calvet X, González-Muñoza C, Barrio J, Gisbert JP, Sicilia B, Pérez-Calle JL, Bujanda L, Esteve M, Ramos L, Varela P, Sierra M, Merino O, Bermejo F, Barreiro-de Acosta M, Perez AR, Márquez-Mosquera L, García-Bosch O, Rodríguez-Lago I, Lorente Poyatos RH, García Sepulcre MF, Maroto N, Vega P, Monfort D, San Martín LZ, Busquets D, Martinez-Montiel P, Riera J, Alcain G, Llaó J, Marin N, Marin-Jimenez I, Sesé E, Van Domselaar M, Huguet JM, Ginard D, Bas-Cutrina F, Ber Y, Roncero O, Lucendo AJ, López-García A, Menacho M, Almela P, Ponferrada Á, Coronel AF, Maestro S, de Jesús Martínez-Pérez T, Vilafranca CM, Argüelles F, Legido J, Gilabert P, Charro M, Trapero AM, Fernández H, Frago S, Villalba LH, Muñoz E, Domènech E; ENEIDA registry of GETECCU. Comparative Study on the Management and Outcomes of Postoperative Crohn's Disease in Older Patients: Data From the ENEIDA Registry. United European Gastroenterol J. 2025 Dec 6;14(1):10.1002/ueg2.70150. DOI: 10.1002/ueg2.70150.
Additional information
Collaborative networks
The group is part of the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) and a key component of the Spanish Working Group on Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis (GETECCU). It also plays an active role in the Catalan Society of Digestology and the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO). In addition, the group is actively involved with patient organizations such as the Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Patients Association of Catalonia (ACCU) and Cure of Crohn's Disease.
Doctoral theses
Title: Característiques i implicacions de les formes familiars de la malaltia inflamatòria intestinal
Author: Carlos González-Muñoza
Supervisor: Eugeni Domènech
University: UAB
Date of defence: November 2025
Qualification: Cum Laude
Title: Història natural i monitoratge de la recurrència postquirúrgicaa la malatia de Crohn
Author: Blanca Oller
Supervisors: Míriam Mañosa & Eugeni Domènech
University: UAB
Date of defence: 09/2023
Title: Characterization of gut microbiota in Sprague Dawley rats from different commercial sources and therapeutic outcomes and gut microbial changes after biological and probiotic treatments in a TNBS-induced colitis model
Author: Sandra Barbosa Pérez
Supervisors: Josep Manyé, Ramon Bartolí, P.Vergara
University: UAB
Date of defence: 07/03/2025
Qualification: Cum Laude
News
An experimental model reproduces creeping fat associated with Crohn's disease and facilitates its study
A team of researchers from the IGTP and the IISPV has published a study in the scientific journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases describing an experimental rat model that reproduces key features of creeping fat, the accumulation of adipose tissue surrounding inflamed intestinal segments and one of the characteristic pathological features of Crohn's disease.
IGTP in 2025: 12 selected news stories
We look back at the year's most significant news stories, showcasing the dedication and collaboration that define IGTP.