About
The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), especially the generation of patient-derived pluripotent stem cells suitable for disease modelling in vitro, opens the door for the potential translation of stem-cell related studies into the clinic.
Successful replacement, or augmentation, of the function of damaged cells by patient derived differentiated stem cells would provide a novel cell-based therapy for diseases. Since iPSCs resemble human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in their ability to generate cells of three germ layers, patient-specific iPSCs offer definitive solutions for the ethical and histo-incompatibility issues related to hESCs. Indeed human iPSC (hiPSC)-based autologous transplantation is heralded as the future of regenerative medicine.
One of our aims is to generate and correct disease-specific hiPSCs for disease modelling and drug screening. The combination of gene-editing based methodologies together with the development of novel protocols for cell differentiation into relevant tissues/organs, provides a unique scenario for modelling disease progression, and the identification of molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to organ regeneration (Figure 1). In this regard we are particularly interested in generation of transgene-free and disease free patient derived hiPSCs for disease modelling and the discovery of novel therapeutic targets.
We believe that the recovery of tissue function should not be restricted to the development of cell replacement therapies. In this regard, in our laboratory we take advantage of organisms that possess the ability to regenerate such as zebrafish, in order to understand which molecular and cellular pathways lead to organ regeneration.
Surprisingly, studies in neonatal mice have demonstrated that soon after birth this organism posses the capability to regenerate its heart. Taking advantage of such preliminary observations we are translating such analysis in order to understand if the mammalian neonatal kidney still posses the capability to regenerate, and more importantly, if we are able to dissect the epigenetic and cellular mechanisms leading to those responses.
Lastly, and in an effort to fully develop in vitro and ex vivo platforms for organ regeneration, in our lab we are focused in the development of reporter cell lines for different transcription factors essential for tissue-specific commitment and differentiation (i.e: renal and cardiac lineages). The possibility to combine pluripotent stem cell lines together with decellularized matrices, functionalized biomaterials and ex vivo organoids offers and unprecedented opportunity for the immediate generation of patient-specific in vitro and ex vivo platforms for disease modelling and organ regeneration (Figure 2).
Staff
Projects
| NATIONAL PROJECTS | FINANCER | PI |
|---|---|---|
| Bioengeniería para mejorar la salud mediante de organoides y bioimpresión 3D (2021-2023) | MINECO – Plataformas ISCIII de apoyo a la I+D+I en Biomedicina y Ciencias de la Salud | Núria Montserrat |
| CARDIOPRINT Biofabricación avanzada multifunción en 3D para la generación de tejido cardiaco terapéutico a escala humana diseñado por ordenador (2021-2024) | MICIU, Proyectos de I+D+i en líneas estratégicas | Núria Montserrat |
| CAKUTORG Desarrollando nuevas estrategias para entender y tratar las anomalías congénitas del riñón y del tracto urinario mediante organoides (2021-2024) | MICIU, Retos investigación: Proyectos I+D | Núria Montserrat |
| Identifying SARS-CoV-2- host cell interactions exploiting CRISPR/Cas9 engineered human organoids: through the development of specific therapies against COVID19 (2020-2022) | FBBVA | Núria Montserrat |
| CHONDREG · Identification of the epigenetic mechanisms preventing chondrocyte de-differentiation: generation of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of cartilage chronic osteochondral lesions | CIBER | Nuria Montserrat |
| Infarto de miocardio en jóvenes. Factores epigeneticos y nuevos marcadores de riesgo cardiovascular. Efecto de la modulación de la expresión de microRNAs y long-non coding RNAs | ISCIII | (Collaborator) |
| INTERNATIONAL FUNDED PROJECTS | FINANCER | PI |
|---|---|---|
| ENGIORG Engineering kidney organoids to study the interplay between Tissue Mechanics and Metabolism: from development to disease (2021-2026) | European Commission | Núria Montserrat |
| ECaBox ECaBox “Eyes in a Care Box”: Regenerating human retina from resuscitated cadaveric eyes (2021-2025) | European Commission, FET OPEN | Núria Montserrat |
| Engineering functional human kidneys and urinary tracts (2021-2024) | Wellcome Leap Solicitation for Humans Organs, Physiology and Engineering (HOPE) | Núria Montserrat |
| BRAV3. Computational biomechanics and bioengineering 3D printing to develop a personalized regenerative biological ventricular assist device to provide lasting functional support to damaged hearts (2020-2024) | European Commission | Núria Montserrat |
| MAD-CoV 2 · Modern approaches for developing antivirals against SARS-CoV 2 (2020-2024) | European Commission | Núria Montserrat |
| R2U-Tox-Assay · Ready-to-use Toxicity Screening Assay based on iPS-Technologies (2020-2022) | EIT Health | Núria Montserrat |
| PRIVATELY FUNDED PROJECTS | FINANCER | PI |
|---|---|---|
| SYSTORG Exploiting organoid model systems to explore systemic conditions worsening COVID19: merging cellular and genetic engineering (2021-2024) | Fundació La Marató de TV3, TV3-Projectes de recerca La Marató TV3 | Núria Montserrat |
| Identificació de noves dianes terapèutiques i biomarcadors de progressió del càncer de ronyó a través de models organoides i xenoempelts genèticament dissenyats per CRISPR (2020-2023) | Fundació La Marató de TV3, TV3-Projectes de recerca La Marató TV3 | Núria Montserrat |
| REPIRE · Regenerating photoreceptors in human retinal organoids to establish a treatment for Retinitis Pigmentosa (2018-2021) | Fundación Bancaria “La Caixa” | Núria Montserrat |
| FUNDRAISING PROJECTS | FINANCER | PI |
|---|---|---|
| Programa Faster Future 2020: COVID-19 (2021) | Fundraising | Núria Montserrat |
| FINISHED PROJECTS | FINANCER | PI |
|---|---|---|
| Identification of Kidney Cancer progression targets and biomarkers through CRISPR-engineered organoids and xenograft mouse models (2019-2020) | Fundació La Marató de TV3 | Núria Montserrat |
| Generation of Isogenic Models of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC) using CRISPR-engineered Kidney Organoids, for the identification of diagnostic biomarkers (2017-2021) | Fundación AECC | Núria Montserrat |
| EPIORG · Cómo modelar la Nefropatía Diabética: restableciendo el epigenoma en organoides renales diabéticos inducidos (2018-2020) | MINECO, Retos investigación: Proyectos I+D | Núria Montserrat |
| MECHANORG · Como integrar señales mecánicas y metabólicas en organoides renales para el modelado de patologías humanas (2019-2020) | MINECO, Acciones Dinamización Europa Investigación | Núria Montserrat |
| Modelling Diabetic Nephropathy targeting DNA methylation: engineering the epigenome in kidney (2019-2020) | EFSD European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes | Núria Montserrat |
| REGMAMKID · How to regenerate the mammalian kidney (2015-2021) | European Commission, ERC-StG | Núria Montserrat |
| REPROMICRO · Reprogramacion y regeneracion tisular a partir de microvesiculas derivadas de celulas madre de pluripotencia inducida (2017-2019) | Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Explora Ciencia | Nuria Montserrat |
| Desarrollo de nuevas estrategias para el tratamiento de la enfermedad renal (2015-2017) | MINECO | Nuria Montserrat |
| TRATENFREN · Desarrollo de nuevas estrategias para el tratamiento de la enfermedad renal (2015-2017) | MINECO, Retos investigación: Proyectos I+D | Nuria Montserrat |
| Regenerative medicine for Fanconi anemia: generation of disease-free patient-specific iPS (2013-2016) | Fundació La Marató de TV3 | Nuria Montserrat |
| ACE2-ORG · Development of a human cellular plaform unveilling Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) – sars-CoV-2 interactions (2020-2021) | ISCIII | Núria Montserrat |
| Red TERCEL · Red de Terapia Celular (2017-2021) | MINECO, ISCIII | (Collaborator) |
| EPIORGABOLISM Diabetic nephropathy modelling in hESC-derived 3D (2019-2021) | European Commission, MARIE CURIE – IF | Carmen Hurtado |
Publications
Equipment
- Real Time QuantStudio 5
- SimpliAmp thermocycler
- Eppendorf 5415D centrifuge
- Allegra X-15 R centrifuge
- Gyrozen 1248 centrifuge
- BioUltra 6 Telstar culture Hood 2x
- AH-100 Telstar primary culture Hood
- Binder CB 60 incubators 2x
- Controltecnica ASTEC SCA 165 incubator
- Controltecnica ZC 180 incubator
- Bioruptor Pico sonicator
- Thermomixer C thermal block
- Leica DMS1000 and DMIL Led microscopes
- Leica DMi1 microscope
- Leica MZ 10F magnifying glass
- Safe Imager 2.0 transilluminator
Collaborations
- Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte
Salk Institute for Biological Studies - Dr. Josep Maria Campistol Plana
Experimental Laboratory of Nephrology and Transplantation, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona - Peter Hohestein
The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh - Dr. Pere Gascón Vilaplana
Head of Oncology Service/Molecular and Translational Oncology Laboratory, IDIBAPS - Gloria Calderon
Embryotools SL - Pura Muñoz Cánovas
Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Dr. Pedro Guillén
Director Clínica Cemtro, Madrid - Dr. Francisco Fernández Avilés
Head of Cardiology Service, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid - Dr María Eugenia Fernández
Unit of Cell Production, Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Madrid - Joaquin Gutiérrez Fruitós
University of Barcelona - Dr. Pere Roca-Cusachs
IBEC - Dr. Elena Martínez
IBEC - Dr. Cristina Eguizabal Argaiz
Centro Vasco de Transfusion y Tejidos Humanos (CVTTH), Bizkaia - Dr. Antonio Alcaraz
Head of Urology, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona - Dr. Oriol Casanovas
Head of Tumour Angiogenesis Group, IDIBELL
News
Organoids to study ataxia telangiectasia
Núria Montserrat Pulido, principal investigator at IBEC, will lead a project to study Ataxia telangiectasia thanks to funding from AEFAT, the Spanish ataxia-telangiectasia family association. The idea of the project is to obtain cells with the patient mutations, develop organoids, explore the possibility of gene editing processes for different mutations and create a platform for drug testing.
BIST Forum, a meeting to highlight the value of frontier research
The BIST Forum has discussed how excellent science enhances the development of society and economic growth. The event was attended by the President of the Catalan Government, the Mayor of Barcelona, the heads of the highest economic institutions and the rectors of the main universities. At the event, the new BIST IGNITE projects for multidisciplinary research were announced, three of which have the participation of IBEC.
IBEC participates in the Presentation of the Hub for Advanced and Emerging Therapies in Catalonia
On December 1, 2023, the Action Plan for Catalonia’s Advanced and Emerging Therapies Hub was unveiled at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital. Hosted by Biocat, the event underscored the significance of this pioneering initiative.
Convergence of the three ISCIII Platforms to support R+D+i in Biomedicine and Health Sciences in Cadiz
Last week, the ISCIII Platforms for R&D Support in Biomedicine and Health Sciences held their annual conference, organized by the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII). The event took place at … Read more
Nuria Montserrat “They dream of the one we have nearby and the one we can get here”
Serra d’Or magazine interviewed Nuria Montserrat, leader of IBEC’s Pluripotency for organ regeneration research group. In the interview she explains her research on organoids and the impact it had during … Read more
IBEC researchers highlight the role of women in science in different media
Coinciding with the celebration of 11 February, the Day of Girls and Women in Science, Nuria Montserrat is one of the three protagonists of the Constantes y Vitales campaign entitled … Read more
The President of Catalonia visits IBEC
During the visit, the President of the Government of Catalonia, Pere Aragonès i Garcia, and the Minister of Health, Manel Balcells i Díaz, were able to learn first-hand about several … Read more
Nuria Montserrat wins the “Constantes y Vitales” award for her pioneering research in the field of organoids
Núria Montserrat, ICREA professor and group leader at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), has been awarded with the “Constantes y Vitales” Young talent award in Biomedical research during … Read more
Organoids to create “mini-brains”
IBEC principal investigator Núria Montserrat, appears in the media for a new breakthrough with organoids by Sergiu Pașca of Stanford University in California and his team. This new method, published … Read more
Laboratory Techinician at the Pluripotency for organ regeneration group
Laboratory Technician/ Deadline: September 22th 2022
Jobs
Project Manager at Plataforma ISCIII Biobancos y Biomodelos (Ref.: PM1-NM)
Ref: PM1 // Deadline: 18/03/2023
Senior Laboratory technician at the Pluripotency for organ regeneration Research Group (Mad-CoV2)
Introduction to the vacant position: The Pluripotency for organ regeneration Group is looking for a Postdoc to develop his/her project on the fabrication of microfluidic devices for tissue engineered organ-on-a-chip … Read more
Laboratory Techinician at the Pluripotency for organ regeneration group
Laboratory Technician/ Deadline: September 22th 2022
Laboratory technician at the Pluripotency for organ regeneration Research Group
Introduction to the vacant position: The Pluripotency for organ regeneration Group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) led by Prof. Nuria Montserrat is looking for a laboratory technician … Read more
Postdoctoral at the Pluripotency for organ regeneration Research Group (TERAV Project)
Introduction to the vacant position: The Pluripotency for organ regeneration Group is looking for a Postdoc to develop his/her project on the fabrication of microfluidic devices for tissue engineered organ-on-a-chip … Read more
Postdoctoral Researcher at the Pluripotency for organ regeneration Research Group
Application Deadline: 23/09/2022Ref: PD-NM The Pluripotency for organ regeneration group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is looking for a Postdoctoral researcher to develop his/her project on the fabrication of microfluidic devices for tissue engineered organ-on-a-chip cultures during health and upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. The contract will be within the framework of “Modern approaches for developing antivirals against SARS-CoV 2” from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement no. 101005026 .
Postdoc at the Pluripotency for organ regeneration Research Group (ECaBox)
Reference: PD2-NM Deadline: 11th February
Laboratory Technician at the Pluripotency for organ regeneration Research Group
Reference: LT-NM. Deadline: 1th February
PhD student at the Pluripotency for organ regeneration Research Group
REF. PhD-NM Deadline: 10th February 2022
Postdoctoral position at the group of Pluripotency for organ regeneration
Application Deadline: 04/02/2022Ref: PD-NM