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leaD researcher
Muñoz Gall, Xavier
fundación hospital Universitario Vall d’Hebron - Institut de Recerca (VHIR) Hospital Vall d’Hebron Passeig Vall d’Hebron, 119-129 08035 Barcelona
(+34) 93 489 40 48
group website
GROUP MEMBERS
Staff members: Ojanguren Arranz, Íñigo
Associated members: Álvarez Fernández, Antonio | Bravo Masgoret, Carlos | Cruz Carmona, Ma Jesús | De Gracia Roldán, Javier | Ferrer Sancho, Jaime | Genover Llimona, Ma Teresa | Gómez Olles, Susana | Lloberes Canadell, Patricia | Martí Beltrán, Sergi | Monforte Torres, Víctor | Mravitilles Fernández, Marc | Orriols Martínez, Ramón | Roca Gas, Oriol | Rodríguez González, Esther | Román Broto, Antonio | Romero Santo Tomás, Odile | Ruano Burgos, Laura | Sampol Rubio, Gabriel | Untoria Corral, Ma Dolores | Venrell Belat, Montserrat
Main lines of research
• The activity of basic and clinical research of the group focuses mainly in areas of inflammation and repair, respiratory failure and tissue hypoxia, and there is complementarity and interrelation of these areas for the study of diseases such as asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, infections, transplants, pulmonary hypertension and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).
• Specifically, within the research in asthma the group is working in the MEGA project aimed at increasing knowledge about the molecular mechanisms of asthma as well as to study the parameters that can determine long-term changes in the patient’s condition and treatments that can influence the progression of the disease. In short, the group aims to better understand the natural history of disease in order to reduce its incidence. We believe that the key to a better understanding of asthma is to carry out an integrated approach, in which immunological, genetic and environmental factors that define the relevant characteristics of the disease are analyzed.
• In the line of pulmonary fibrosis, our studies have shown that it is possible to determine the causes of this disease in half of the cases after the completion of a clinical study in depth. The group has shown that a major cause of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is exposure to minimal but persistent antigen quantities. Ultimately, it is the disease called hypersensitivity pneumonitis crónica. In this research the group has a murine model of hypersensitivity pneumonitis that will be significant in the near future to see the effect of different treatments as well as to study the pathophysiological pathways of this disease.
• Our center is currently one of the 7 hospitals in the country where lung transplants are performed and one of the most active in this field, which places it in one of the top European and world level. With the unique opportunity generated by the lung transplant program at our hospital, the group is actively working on the inclusion of samples in the CIBERES biobank.
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PROGRAMMES
Chronic Respiratory Diseases