Group leader
As every year, as soon as the school year ends, IBEC’s laboratories fill up with a new generation of future scientists. This summer, more than 20 secondary school, high school and undergraduate students took part in various programmes, gaining first-hand experience of the day-to-day work of bioengineering research in nine of the centre’s laboratories.
A research consortium led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia in Barcelona has developed a family of light-switchable small molecules designed to occupy the gap. The compounds, called prosthe6, restored visual responses in zebrafish and mouse models of retinal degeneration under ordinary ambient light.
Entrevista a la investigadora Rosalba Sortino, sobre los fármacos activados por luz que restauran la visión en ratones ciegos.
El Instituto de Biotecnología de Cataluña lidera una investigación que ha desarrollado un fármaco en forma de colirio que permite recuperar la visión en ratones ciegos, con ensayos clínicos previstos en humanos en cuatro años. Declaraciones de Rosalba Sortino, autora del estudio Instituto de bioingeniería de Cataluña.; Joaquín Martínez Tambella, coautor del estudio Instituto de Biotecnología de Cataluña.
Un farmaco attivato dalla luce ha ripristinato la vista nei topi: funziona come una sorta di ‘protesi molecolare’ che sostituisce i sensori della retina ormai degenerati a causa della malattia, riattivando il circuito che trasporta i segnali al cervello.
Un consorcio internacional liderado por el IBEC ha desarrollado unos compuestos inteligentes que imitan las células fotorreceptoras dañadas en algunas enfermedades degenerativas. El avance abre la puerta a futuros tratamientos no invasivos mediante colirios.
Actúa como una prótesis moleculares sin necesidad de implantes, tal y como se ha probado en una investigación dirigida por el Instituto de Bioingeniería de Cataluña, que espera iniciar los ensayos clínicos en humanos en dos o cuatro años
A consortium led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) developed this approach based on photopharmacology, a technique to reversibly control drug activity with light. The newly developed compounds, called prosthe6, mimic the function of photoreceptor cells, which degenerate in blinding diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). These photoswitchable molecules show preliminary safety profiles and represent potential drug candidates for restoring vision in patients with degenerative retinal diseases, without the need for genetic manipulation or implanted devices.
The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia brought together researchers, investors and industry leaders with its event “IBEC Health Revolution Day: Engineering the Future of Medicine”, as part of the Health Revolution Congress. Through expert panels, technology pitches and scientific talks, the event showcased cutting-edge biomedical technologies and discussed how to translate scientific discoveries into real-world healthcare solutions.
The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is pleased to welcome new international students to its PhD programme. This initiative offers excellent training and research opportunities in bioengineering, as well as strong collaboration with leading hospitals and institutions.