Our group Disease Biomarker and Molecular Mechanism (DIBIOMEC) was created in 2016 and belongs to the Pere Virgili Research Institute (IISPV) and the Joan XXIII University Hospital of Tarragona (HJ23). The group has also been recognized as a group consolidated by the Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) of the Generalitat de Catalunya – Universitat Rovira i Virgili.
The main focus of the research is centred in the search of biomarkers for the diagnosis and/or prognosis of inflammatory-related diseases. The search of biomarkers is mainly based on exosome-associated microRNAs and we deepen into their related targets-genes in order to be used as therapeutic targets. Our group has also a strong background in the study of the inflammatory axis composed of the cytokine TWEAK and its receptor Fn14 in low degree inflammatory environments such as obesity or higher inflammatory microenvironments such as cancer or rheumatoid arthritis. Our research is done in close proximity to the patients, where our goal is to translate our discoveries to the clinic. To that end, we have a multidisciplinary group, that associates urologists, pathologists, and basic scientists that ask relevant clinical questions that need biological answers. Our workflow contemplates information obtained from patients that are translated to in vitro experiments to answer these questions. This design is used to find possible biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and/or prognosis and to decipher their molecular mechanism of action.
Dra. Matilde Rodríguez Chacón
Dr. Xavier Ruiz Plazas
Identification of TWEAK regulated Exo-oncomicroRNAs in the crosstalk between peritumoral adipose tissue and prostate cancer cells. Usefulness as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis.
FUNDIGN ENTITY: Instituo de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
PROJECT Nº: PI20/00418
PERIOD: 2021-2023
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Matilde Rodriguez Chacón
Co-PI: Xavier Ruiz Plazas
Búsqueda de biomarcadores de diagnóstico en suero de pacientes con artritis reumatoide temprana mediante un enfoque multiomico combinado
FUNDIGN ENTITY: Societat Catalana de Reumatologia (Beca Lilly)
PERIOD: 2022-2024
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Samantha Rodriguez
Co-IP: Matilde Rodriguez Chacón
ExomicroRNAs asociados a artritis reumatoide naïve en biopsia líquida como biomarcadores tempranos de la enfermedad
FUNDIGN ENTITY: Societat Catalana de Reumatologia (Beca Lilly)
PERIOD: 2020-2022
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Samantha Rodriguez
Co-IP: Matilde Rodriguez Chacón
Evaluation of sTWEAK / Fn14 / CD163 axis as potential predictive biomarkers of immunological recovery and disease progression in HIV-infected patients under virological suppression.
FUNDIGN ENTITY: IISPV. BOOSTING YOUNG TALENT CALL
PERIOD: 2020-2021.
PI: Anna Rull
TEAM MEMBER: Matilde Rodriguez Chacón
AMOUNT GRANTED
Identification and functional characterization of microRNAs regulated by the TWEAK cytokine in the context of prostate cancer: search for new biological markers of diagnosis and prognosis as well as new therapeutic targets
FUNDIGN ENTITY: Fundación Vallformosa. IV Premi Martí Via
PERIOD: 2019-2020
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Xavier Ruiz-Plazas
Co-PI: Matilde Rodriguez Chacón
Study the TWEAK cytokine and its Fn14 and CD163 receptors as potential noninvasive biomarkers in the context of prostate cancer. Relationship with the patient’s metabolic status
FUNDIGN ENTITY: ISCIII
PROJECT Nº: PI 17/00877
PERIOD: 2018-2020
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Matilde Rodríguez Chacón
Co-PI: Xavier Ruiz Plazas
Study of the TWEAK / Fn14 / CD163 axis as a panel of non-invasive biomarkers in the diagnosis / prognosis of prostate cancer.
FUNDIGN ENTITY: Fundación Para la Investigación en urología. Ayuda a la investigación Pedro Cifuentes Diaz
PERIOD: 2018-2019
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Matilde Rodríguez Chacón
Co-PI: Xavier Ruiz Plazas
Analyses of the global kinase activities in adipose tissue to find molecular differences resulting from insulin resistance across different clinical phenotypes from lean to obese and type 2 diabetic patients. Discovery of new targets for therapy
PROJECT Nº: (86/C/2016).
FUNDIGN ENTITY: Marató TV3
PERIOD: 2017-2019
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Joan Vendrell Ortega
TEAM MEMBER: Matilde Rodriguez Chacón
Identification and characterization of microRNAs regulated by sTWEAK in the adipocyte and its role in the inflammatory response associated with Insulin Resistance. Analysis of its usefulness as biomarkers in the Pizarra and di@bet.es studies.
FUNDIGN ENTITY: ISCIII
PROJECT Nº: PI 14/00465
PERIOD: 2015-2018
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (PI): Matilde Rodríguez Chacón
INVENTORS: Matilde Rodríguez Chacón, Xavier Ruiz Plazas, Josep Segarra Tomás, Joan Francesc García Fontgivell, Salomé Martínez González, Javier Lozano Bartolomé.
TÍTLE: Biomarcadors d’agressivitat de càncer de pròstata
No: EP18382842.5
APPLICATION DATE: 22/11/2018
INSTITUTION: Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV)
INVENTORS: Matilde Rodríguez Chacón, Xavier Ruiz Plazas, Josep Segarra Tomás, Joan Francesc García Fontgivell, Salomé Martínez González, Javier Lozano Bartolomé, Antón Altuna-Coy.
TÍTLE: biomarkers of prostate cancer aggressiveness
No: PCT/EP2019/082081
APPLICATION DATE: 22/11/2019
INSTITUTION: Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV)
https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2020104588&tab=PCTDOCUMENTS
Altuna-Coy A, Ruiz-Plazas X, Sánchez-Martin S, Ascaso-Til H, Prados-Saavedra M, Alves-Santiago M, Bernal-Escoté X, Segarra-Tomás J, Chacón M.R. IF: 11,1 Q
López C, Bosch R, Korzynska A, García-Rojo M, Bueno G, García-Fontgivell JF, Martínez González S, Gras Navarro A, Sauras Colón E, Casanova Ribes J, Roszkowiak L, Mata D, Arenas M, Gómez J, Roso A, Berenguer M, Reverté-Villarroya S, Llobera M, Baucells J, Lejeune M. PMID: 35137329 .IF etc.
Rodríguez-Muguruza S, Altuna-Coy A, Castro-Oreiro S, Poveda-Elices MJ, Fontova-Garrofé R, Chacón MR. eCollection 2021. PMID: 34868079 PMCID: PMC8636106
Altuna-Coy, A.; Ruiz-Plazas, X.; Alves-Santiago, M.; Segarra-Tomás, J.; Chacón, M.R. IF: 6.639 Q1 (WOS): 4
Ruiz-Plazas X, Altuna-Coy A, Alves-Santiago M, Vila-Barja J, García-Fontgivell JF, Martínez-González S, Segarra-Tomás J, Chacón MR. IF: 6.126 Q1 Citations (WOS): 5 PMCID: PMC7826893
López C, Gibert-Ramos A, Bosch R, Korzynska A, García-Rojo M, Bueno G, García-Fontgivell JF, Martínez González S, Fontoura L, Gras Navarro A, Sauras Colón E, Casanova Ribes J, Roszkowiak L, Roso A, Berenguer M, Llobera M, Baucells J, Lejeune M. Epub 2020 Dec 10. IF: 6.126 Q1 Citations (WOS): 5
Ruiz-Plazas X, Rodríguez-Gallego E, Alves M, Altuna-Coy A, Lozano-Bartolomé J, Portero-Otin M, García-Fontgivell JF, Martínez-González S, Segarra J, Chacón MR. IF: 4.098 Q1
Fabià Mayans A, Segarra Tomás J, Ascaso Til H, Serra Deola A, Centeno Álvarez C, Ruiz Plazas X, Prados Saavedra M, Vila Barja J, Santillana Altimira JM.
Fabia Mayans A, Ascaso Til H, Centeno Alvarez C, Serra Deola A, Segarra Tomás J.
Lozano-Bartolomé J, Llauradó G, Portero-Otin M, Altuna-Coy A, Rojo-Martínez G, Vendrell J, Jorba R, Rodríguez-Gallego E, Chacón MR. IF: 5.605 Q1
Hospital Universitari de Tarragona Joan XXIII
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