A study from the Biomedical Research Institute CatSud (IRB CatSud, formerly IISPV), published in the journal Biology of Sex Differences, shows that the disease develops in different ways depending on sex.

To study this, researchers from the DIAMET group at IRB CatSud used an experimental model with mice that reproduces the early stages of the disease. This model helps to understand what happens before serious liver damage appears.

The results show that females have more severe liver changes than males at early stages, even though they are usually thought to be better protected in the long term. Females also showed signs of a weaker intestinal barrier, which suggests higher stress in the body.

In contrast, males lost weight, had better blood sugar control, and showed fewer liver problems, meaning they adapted better to the diet. These differences were also linked to changes in brain areas that control appetite, energy use, and inflammation.

Researchers also found that, over time, these results may change, with males becoming more affected in later stages of the disease.

Overall, the study shows that sex differences appear very early and follow different paths. Understanding these patterns can help develop better and more personalised treatments for both men and women.

The results also highlight the importance of including both sexes in biomedical research to improve prevention and treatment of this increasingly common disease.

Reference 

Repollés-de-Dalmau, M., Marsal-Beltran, A., Núñez-Roa, C., Vendrell, J., Ceperuelo-Mallafré, V., & Fernández-Veledo, S. (2026). Sex-specific dynamics of MASLD reveal early hepatic and extrahepatic metabolic deterioration in females despite long-term protection. Biology of sex differences, 17(1), 92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13293-026-00876-y

In Reus, the programme includes a strong representation from the Institute. On Monday 18 May (7 pm), at Gastropub As de Copes, researcher Maite Royo Iglesias will talk about mental health with ‘Més enllà del moment: adversitats i salut mental’. At the same time, at Racó de l’Orfeó Reusenc, Martí Llaurador-Coll will present ‘Sang: l’Amazon del nostre cos’, and IRB CatSud deputy director Elisabet Vilella, together with Josep Gumà, will explain precision medicine from the fields of psychiatry and oncology.

The following day, also in Reus, the programme continues from 7 pm. At As de Copes, Héctor Vázquez Lorente will speak about nutrition and bone health, and Sara Bernardo Castro will present ‘El menú secret del cervell: dieta abans de néixer’. Meanwhile, at Orfeó Reusenc, Bernat Ballvé Gelonch will explore the impact of diet on mental disorders.

In Tarragona, IRB CatSud researchers will also take part. On 18 May (7 pm), at Tòtem Café, Aleix Ribas Latre will give the talk ‘Què és el jet lag social?’, focusing on the difference between biological, social and solar clocks, and how this misalignment affects daily life. On 19 May (7 pm), at the same venue, Iris Ginés Mir will discuss the effects of tobacco, with a focus on how smoke exposure can worsen Crohn’s disease. The programme continues on 20 May (7 pm), at Sala Zero, with Andrea Pérez Valle presenting ‘Les Teresines fan línia! Gens, entorn i proteïnes’, a talk about the relationship between genes, environment and mental health.

In Tortosa, the focus is on researcher Maricela Jiménez-López, who will present ‘REMAP-CAP: la ciència quan més la necessitem’. The talk will explain an international clinical trial that studies how to improve the treatment of patients with severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia or COVID-19. The project uses an adaptive design that allows it to learn in real time and adjust treatments depending on their effectiveness, a model that has already proved useful in emergency situations.

Pint of Science is an international festival held in 27 countries, with the aim of bringing research closer to society in a relaxed and informal setting. Over three days, more than fifty researchers from the region will share their work with the public, helping to make science more accessible.

A research study based on the analysis of genetic data from hundreds of thousands of people has identified previously hidden genetic links between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and several cardiometabolic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. These findings, published in the prestigious scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry, help explain why people with autism have a higher risk of developing physical health problems throughout their lives.

D’esquerra a dreta, Elisabet Vilella, Maria Guardiola-Ripoll i Gerard Muntané

The study was carried out by researchers from the Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata (HUIPM) and the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud (IRB CatSud, formerly IISPV), in collaboration with the University of Oslo, and with the participation of the Rovira i Virgili University (URV).

The results show that some of the same genetic factors that influence autism are also involved in metabolic disorders, such as weight gain and diabetes, and in the same direction. This suggests that there are shared biological mechanisms linking mental health and physical health. However, when cardiovascular health factors such as blood pressure are analysed, the relationship is more complex. In these cases, the same genetic factors may have opposite effects, suggesting that different and still poorly understood mechanisms are involved.

Researchers have also identified more than one hundred regions of the genome involved in these connections, opening up new ways to better understand how the brain and the body interact.
“More and more evidence shows that mental health and physical health cannot be understood separately, and this type of study brings us closer to more personalised medicine that takes into account all the factors influencing people’s health,” says Gerard Muntané, first author of the article.

Experts highlight that these results could help, in the future, to detect physical health risks in people with autism earlier and to design more effective prevention strategies.

Article reference
Muntané, G., Shadrin, A., Guardiola-Ripoll, M., O’Connell, K. S., Frei, O., Naerland, T., Vilella, E., & Andreassen, O. A. (2026). Genetic overlap and shared risk loci between autism spectrum disorder and cardiometabolic traits. Molecular Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-026-03563-x

The biomedical research carried out at Southern Catalonia Biomedical Research Institute – IRBCatSud (formerly IISPV) is reaching classrooms through a series of educational escape rooms that are already being offered in several schools in Reus and Tarragona. This initiative, which reflects the Institute’s commitment to Southern Catalonia, aims to bring the biomedical research developed by its researchers closer to young students through an innovative and interactive format.

The escape rooms have been designed as a teaching tool to explain the work carried out by IRB CatSud at the institutions where it is present — Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII in Tarragona, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Reus, Hospital Universitari de Tortosa Verge de la Cinta, Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata in Reus, and Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Through this activity, students also learn about the role of researchers and how health research has a direct impact on people’s lives. By taking part in the game, students become the protagonists of a mission that encourages teamwork, problem-solving and following clues related to how laboratories work and to current scientific challenges.

The proposal has been adapted to the school context and is offered to nearly fifteen educational centres in Reus and Tarragona as a scientific outreach activity that promotes experiential learning. Initially, it was mainly aimed at students in the first year of the scientific baccalaureate, but it has also been opened to Year 10 students (4th year of compulsory secondary education) at the request of the participating schools. This format makes it possible to explain scientific concepts, which are often complex, in an accessible way, while sparking interest in science and fostering critical thinking, cooperation and curiosity.

The activity is supported by the Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) through a funding programme to promote scientific outreach in Catalan.

A total of fifty people took part in the outreach visits organised by the Fundació La Marató de 3Cat in collaboration with the Southern Catalonia Biomedical Research Institute (IRBCatSud, by its Catalan acronym) with the aim of explaining some of the projects funded through this solidarity programme.

The Visits to Research, held on Tuesday 14 April at the IRB CatSud facilities at Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Reus (HUSJR), helped bring current research projects closer to the public and showed how laboratory work is transformed into advances that improve people’s health.

The visits were led by research staff from IRB CatSud and Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata (HUIPM). They allowed participants to understand, in a visual and accessible way, how biomedical research progresses and what future challenges lie ahead.

During the tour, visitors explored several areas of the Institute, such as the construction site of the future Clinical Research Unit (CRU)—where advanced clinical trials will be carried out and innovative therapies will be made available to the population—as well as the cell culture room, research laboratories and the biobank, where human biological samples are processed for the research community. In these spaces, the work being carried out was explained, and participants were able to observe cells using a microscope.

The project presented during the visit was Inscription, led by Gerard Muntané from the Research Group in Genetics and Environment in Psychiatry (GAP). This project, which received funding from the 2021 edition of La Marató focused on mental health, proposes a new approach to improving the prediction of schizophrenia by integrating biological and clinical data from different levels. Through a multicentre study involving people at different stages of risk or disease development, the project aims to identify combinations of factors that allow for better prediction of its onset. The final goal is to move towards more personalised medicine, supporting early prevention and improving the treatment and management of schizophrenia.

These visits bring research closer to society, strengthen scientific culture and highlight the importance of solidarity in making these projects possible. Through initiatives like this, the Fundació La Marató de 3Cat and IRB CatSud reaffirm their commitment to transparent, open research that is aligned with the needs of the local community.

A research team from the Research Group on Autoimmunity, Infection and Thrombosis (GRAIÏT) at the Southern Catalonia Biomedical Research Institute (formerly IISPV), from at the same time of the Internal Medicine and Clinical Physiology and Functional Evaluation services at the Sant Joan University Hospital in Reus, part of the has presented new evidence confirming the deep and lasting impact of SARS‑CoV‑2 infection on the muscular and metabolic systems of individuals affected by Post‑COVID‑19 Condition (long COVID). The results of the study “Assessment of Physical Status and Analysis of Lipidomic and Metabolomic Alterations in Patients with Post‑COVID‑19 Condition” highlight the need to promote specific rehabilitation and physical reconditioning programs to improve patient recovery, and have been published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE this March.

The study reveals significant peripheral muscle involvement related to the infection. This alteration leads to a marked loss of physical performance, one of the most frequent and disabling symptoms of the condition. The researchers emphasize that patients may benefit from personalized rehabilitation protocols to regain strength, endurance, and functionality.

Additionally, through the analysis of body metabolism using metabolomic and lipidomic techniques, they detected changes that may explain some of the patients’ symptoms:

• Lipoprotein imbalance, which may promote the formation of atheroma plaques in blood vessels and sustain chronic inflammation.
• Problems in energy production (aerobic and mitochondrial pathways), with excess lactate, which may cause muscle fatigue.
• Excessive protein breakdown (hypercatabolism), which may increase oxidative stress and, again, chronic inflammation.

According to the study’s authors, these findings reinforce the idea that Post‑COVID‑19 Condition is a multisystemic disorder requiring an integrated approach combining physical rehabilitation, metabolic monitoring, and personalized interventions.

The researchers note that the results open the door to developing more specific therapeutic strategies and to better guiding care pathways for patients with long COVID.