Noticias

• The exhibition "From the cell to the patient. 10 Years moving forward together" was inaugurated this morning at the biomedical research centre

President Chivite launches the events for the celebration of the tenth anniversary of Navarrabiomed by inaugurating the exhibition "From the cell to the patient. 10 Years moving forward together ". Navarrabiomed, a joint centre of the Government of Navarra and the Public University of Navarra (UPNA), has been promoting, facilitating and conducting biomedical research for 10 years to develop therapies that improve the quality of the public health system.

This is an exhibition that highlights, with an informative approach, the challenges and opportunities posed by the integration of biomedical research in the clinical practice of the public health system over the last ten years. Currently, the exhibits are located in Navarrabiomed's entrance hall and during 2023 it will become a travelling exhibition scheduled to be located in different exhibition spaces around the Foral Community in order to reach the Navarrese citizenship. It will also be at the Pamplona Planetarium from mid-January 2023.

During the inauguration, the President highlighted the role of research: “Your work is essential to turn research into tangible results beneficial to citizens and the territory, as well as to strengthen our public health system“. On the other hand, she highlighted the commitment of the Government of Navarra to health research that guarantees the effective application of the results in terms of benefits for the health of citizens. “It is an essential mission that we have to promote from the public health systems. In recent years, the budget allocated to the Miguel Servet Foundation has been consolidated, with 2.7 million in 2017 reaching 3.5 million in 2020. And the preliminary draft budget 2023 proposes an increase of 12.5% compared to the previous year.”

Also present at the event were the Minister of Health, Santos Induráin; the Minister of University, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Juan Cruz Cigudosa; the dean of UPNA, Ramón Gonzalo; the director of Navarrabiomed, Maite Mendioroz; and members of the board of trustees of the Miguel Servet Foundation, Navarrabiomed's managing body.

 
10 years moving forward with Navarrabiomed

Maite Mendioroz recalled that the mission of the research centre “is to promote, facilitate and conduct biomedical research to implement and develop therapies that improve the quality of the public health system.” Promoted 10 years ago by the Department of Health of the Government of Navarra, it became, in 2016, a joint centre with the Public University of Navarra, with the aim of promoting biomedical research and enhancing the competitiveness of the bio-health sector of the region.

In this regard, she stressed that "the presence of Navarrabiomed on the HUN campus for 10 years is not a coincidence. This convergence of research centre, hospital and university is essential for the knowledge generated by the three institutions to be transferred to healthcare practice.” 
Currently, the centre is divided into 20 research units and 6 scientific-technical services for the promotion of scientific research and technological development: Biobank, Clinical Trials, Methodology-Evaluation of health services, Proteomics, Animals, Experimental operating room and Clean Room of advanced therapies, CellMa, which bring together a total of 120 researchers. Through its support units, Navarrabiomed facilitates and promotes the research carried out by more than 250 health professionals from other public centres of the Navarra public health system. The director has rated the evolution of the centre of “extremely solid. It is curious to observe how a research centre evolves from being a very small centre with few research groups. In 2012, there were 49 of us, today we are 165. At the level of scientific output, it should be noted that, in 2013, Navarrabiomed published seven articles in journals indexed in JCR, five years later, 41 and in 2021, there were 181”. 

She concluded by saying: “We have fulfilled the fundamental objectives of the Strategic Plan and today, we are working on the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan. After 10 years of work and now analysing what has happened, we can launch a new stage with many perspectives. We have great challenges ahead of us and we face them with enthusiasm and responsibility.”

Sustainable sculptures with augmented reality

Then those participating visited the exhibition "From the cell to the patient. 10 Years moving forward together / Zelulatik pazientera. 10 urte elkarrekin lanean". It involves 9 scientific exhibits in sustainable cardboard sculpture format that expose progress in biomedical research, as well as the challenges for health research. It is aimed at health personnel and the general public, and seeks to bring science closer to society through new interactive formats with augmented reality. To enjoy all the contents, the Navarrabiomed app can be downloaded for free (for Android and for iOS).
This project has received funding from the Department of University, Innovation and Digital Transformation of the Government of Navarra in the call for Grants for the Promotion of Scientific Culture, the dissemination of R&D&i carried out in Navarra and the promotion of COSMOS 2022 STEM vocations. The conceptual and visual design and the contents of the exhibition have been carried out by the Communication and Design Unit of Navarrabiomed. The company iAR (Industrial Augmented Reality) has been in charge of carrying out the programming in augmented reality and Tresatres, the printing of the exhibits.

Visits to the exhibition and scientific conference

Coinciding with the Science Weeks, visits to the exhibition will be organized to bring biomedical research closer to the public and promote scientific vocations. Each session includes a guided tour of the exhibition "From the cell to the patient. 10 Years moving forward together" and of the centre’s laboratories. The capacity is limited in all of them and those interested must book through the Navarrabiomed website www.navarrabiomed.es/en.
The program will end on Thursday, November 24, at 13:00 in the auditorium B of the University Hospital of Navarra, with the scientific conference entitled "The integration of biomedical research in clinical care practice: challenges and opportunities". It is a dialogue between Marina Berenguer Haym and Jesús Prieto Valtueña, both medical professionals and researchers with recognized careers. Those interested in attending should register previously.

Navarrabiomed se suma un año más a la programación de las Semanas de la Ciencia, la Tecnología y la Innovación de Navarra 2022. Entre el 4 y el 19 de noviembre este ciclo de divulgación científica ofrece en la Comunidad Foral una gran variedad de actividades para acercar la ciencia a la ciudadanía. Ver programa completo. 

El eje central de la programación de Navarrabiomed incluye una exposición interactiva, titulada "De la célula al paciente.10 Años avanzando juntos / "Zelulatik pazientera. 10 urte elkarrekin lanean", accesible en castellano y euskera, que supone una retrospectiva de la última década en investigación biomédica e introduce los desafíos actuales. El proyecto cuenta con tecnología de visualización 3D y realidad aumentada, y ha recibido financiación del Departamento de Universidad, Innovación y Transformación Digital del Gobierno de Navarra en la convocatoria de Ayudas al Fomento de la Cultura Científica, la difusión de la I+D+i realizada en Navarra y al fomento de las vocaciones STEM COSMOS 2022.

A continuación, se detallan las acciones programadas desde Navarrabiomed para acercar la investigación biomédica y fomentar las vocaciones científicas. El aforo es limitado en todas ellas y las personas interesadas deberán reservar plaza a través del formulario de inscripción correspondiente. 
 

> Jornadas temáticas de puertas abiertas a Navarrabiomed 17, 18 y 21 de noviembre.
Cada sesión incluye visita guiada a la exposición "De la célula al paciente. 10 Años avanzando juntos / Zelulatik pazientera. 10 urte elkarrekin lanean" y también se visitarán los laboratorios del centro. 

• Jueves, 17 de noviembre. 18:00 h. "Medicina de precisión: del ADN a la inmunoterapia". Inscripción.
• Viernes, 18 de noviembre. 10:30 h. "Enfermedades del corazón, ejercicio físico y salud". Inscripción.
• Lunes, 21 de noviembre. 10:30 h. "Desafíos de la investigación en neurociencias". Inscripción.
   

> Visita para estudiantes de ciencias a Navarrabiomed. Martes, 22 de noviembre. 16:30 h. Inscripción.
Sesión sobre salidas profesionales en investigación biomédica y posterior visita a los laboratorios del centro en grupos reducidos. Edad orientativa: 16-19 años; estudiantes de Bachillerato, Formación Profesional y primeros cursos de grados universitarios.
¡Importante! El alumnado de modelo D deberá especificarlo en el formulario con el fin de facilitar la organización de la visita a los laboratorios en euskera. 


> Conferencia. Jueves, 24 de noviembre. 13:00 h. Salón de actos B - Hospital Universitario de Navarra. "La integración de la investigación biomédica en la práctica clínica asistencial: retos y oportunidades". Inscripción. 
Dos referentes internacionales del ámbito médico e investigador invitarán a la reflexión sobre la importancia de la investigación traslacional. Un diálogo inspirador entre Marina Berenguer Haym y Jesús Prieto Valtueña. 
Las personas interesadas en asistir deberán inscribirse previamente. Se confirmará la plaza por riguroso orden de inscripción al email facilitado. 
 

Protocolo COVID-19. En cumplimiento con las medidas sanitarias vigentes para los recintos hospitalarios será obligatorio llevar mascarilla durante todas las actividades. Si surgiera algún caso COVID-19 Navarrabiomed contactará con los y las asistentes a través de los datos facilitados el formulario de reserva de plaza.

• Cancers: Immune Profiling Uncovers Memory T-Cell Responses with a Th17 Signature in Cancer Patients with Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection Followed by mRNA Vaccination

The Oncoimmunology Unit of Navarrabiomed, headed by Drs. Grazyna Kochan and David Escors in collaboration with the Oncobiona Unit, headed by Drs Ruth Vera and María Alsina, have characterized the memory T-cell responses against SARS in solid-tumour patients with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection followed by mRNA vaccination.

The study demonstrates that patients with solid tumours vaccinated with Bnt162b2 exhibit proficient antibody, T-cell and myeloid responses against the S1 protein of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Furthermore, patients with previous COVID-19 generate a potent memory T-cell response against S1 and M viral proteins. This indicates that the incorporation of the M protein in vaccine formulations could increase the efficacy of vaccines in cancer patients. 

In addition, vaccination followed by a previous infection was also reported to markedly increase the immune response to the S1 protein. The study also highlight the exacerbated Th17 response after infection and vaccination in solid tumour patients, who already have baseline inflammation due to the disease. This suggests the requirement of further research in novel mRNA vaccine adjuvants to avoid this inflammatory response.

These results are part of the thesis by Miriam Echaide, PhD student of the Oncoimmunology Unit, and are included in the scientific production of the Navarra Health Research Institute (IdiSNA), a public-private group for the promotion of biomedical research in Navarra, of which Navarrabiomed is a member.

The research is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Science and Innovation programme. The Oncoimmunology group has the additional support of other institutions such as the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), the Carlos III Health Institute, the Department of Health and the Department of University, Innovation and Digital Transformation of the Government of Navarra and the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
 

The departments of Citizen Relations and Health bring together health research professionals from the Regional Community at the HUN in the Meeting "Public health: research and progress with Europe", organized by Navarrabiomed.

Through the departments of Citizen Relations and Health, health research professionals from the Foral Community at the University Hospital of Navarra (HUN) gathered this morning at the meeting "Public Health: research and progress with Europe", to promote the health strategy of the European Union, its implementation in the Foral Community and its impact on the well-being of the population. 
The conference was organized by the Navarrabiomed biomedical research centre and funded by Citizen Relations, through the call for aid for the dissemination of EU policies and strategies.

Research priorities and challenges go from research in patient care, to prevention and health promotion. All aspects of healthcare have been analysed from the perspective whereby the European strategy will translate into tangible and beneficial results for citizens and the region. 
During the institutional opening, the Ministers of Citizen Relations, Ana Ollo, and of Health, Santos Induráin, accompanied Isabel de la Mata, senior advisor for Health and Crisis Management of the Directorate General of Health of the European Commission. 
 

“Public health is a priority”

Minister Ollo recalled that “health is an investment and, with a budget of 5,300 million euros for the period 2021-2027, the UE pro Salud program involves unprecedented financial support from the European Union in the healthcare area. The clear message of this program is that public health is a priority and it is one of the main instruments to pave the way towards a European Health Union.” “It is undoubtedly a great opportunity that we should take advantage of, but not the only one.” 

“We must not forget the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework and, in this regard, from the European Projects Office, we monitor all the opportunities it offers and research programs such as Horizon Europe or POCTEFA for cross-border cooperation, are examples. But Europe is much more than money and financing. Europe is the defence of human rights, diversity and plurality. Europe is the democratic consultation of the Conference on the Future of Europe and Europe is the joint response to the energy crisis situation. In short, with its hits and misses, Europe is the best territory in the world to live”, continued Ollo.

“Quality healthcare system, with coverage without distinction”

In this context, the Minister of Health has added that “Europe's most differentiating feature with respect to the rest of the continents in the world is its quality and supportive health system offering extensive coverage to any citizen without distinction.”

She also encouraged participation in European projects. She explained that the COVID-19 pandemic has fostered an enormous sensitivity in the European institutions about the need to complement national health policies. “We cannot miss this chance and must continue working to increase our community's participation in European projects aimed at improving disease prevention, equal access to modern efficient healthcare for all Europeans, and coordination in the face of serious health threats affecting more than one EU country”, noted Minister Induráin.

Towards a European Health Union 

In this regard, the attendees were able to learn about the European health strategy from Isabel de la Mata, senior advisor for Health and Crisis Management of the Directorate General of Health of the European Commission. De la Mata has highlighted “the need and the steps to follow to build the European Health Union". 

“EU health policy focuses on the protection and improvement of health, equal access to modern efficient healthcare for all Europeans, and coordination in the face of serious health threats affecting more than one EU country. Europe must build a stronger European Health Union. To do this, it relies on a EU4Health program, endowed with future guarantees and adequate financing, a strengthened European Medicines Agency (EMA) and a strengthened European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).”
From the perspective of the regional development of the strategy, Carlos Artundo, Director General of Health of the Government of Navarra has insisted that “we have to keep working harder and better with Europe. We must continue betting on research because it is the only way to progress and improve people's health”. 

From Europe to the region: four round tables with experts from the Regional Community 

Experts from the different health areas have presented the work carried out in Navarra and the existing challenges, both in Europe and in Navarra, in different areas: Disease prevention and health promotion, cooperation, improvement of medicines and therapies; use of health data, are all priorities 
During the “Health promotion and research" roundtable, participants pointed out that new areas are emerging such as mental health, environmental pollution or social determinants that have a direct impact on health inequality. Therefore, these should be taken into account both in research and in health promotion actions.

As for cooperation, experts have stressed that the challenge of involving all stakeholders who may have a key role in health care from all points of view is enormous. We are talking about cooperation at the regional, European and international levels. It is about positioning our territory as a reference for the implementation of new health strategies and cooperating internationally to go forward.

At the roundtable "Anticipating changes in the pharmaceutical field”, the focus was placed on the context of strategic, legislative and technological (genomics) changes characterizing the sector. Pharmaceutical policy is very necessary due to the social value of biomedical innovation both from the point of view of its important impact on people's health and quality of life results and its impact on the economic development of the territory.
The last roundtable focused on the secondary use of health data: “Sketching the future of health research in Navarra with Europe”.  Data science, artificial intelligence and other technologies are changing healthcare and participating in the economic development of our community and the well-being of our society. 

The trend in the health field is to incorporate more and more data that come from very diverse sources, making available information that can be of great relevance for researchers, health professionals and, above all, for patients. 

One of the main impacts of incorporating data in the health field is the development of precision personalized medicine. So it is essential to be able to share data - genomic data in particular - “homogeneously” and anonymously for the benefit of patients.

The role of research

Iñigo Lasa, Director of Navarrabiomed, was in charge of drawing the conclusions of the meeting. “Throughout today's conference, it has become clear how important it is that research permeates all areas of the health system against that widespread idea in society that research is something that happens only in laboratories. Research, as we have seen, is also developing information systems that allow access, analysis and interaction with patient data in a dynamic and secure way, research is also to prepare the infrastructures to host new health methodologies or new pharmaceutical treatments. Research is to have a strong and agile epidemiological surveillance system that participates in the development and use of epidemiological analysis methodologies to analyse health situations.” 

According to Lasa, a health system that is aware and active in research is a health system that is more critical of the procedures it uses, it is a more versatile health system to accommodate new methodologies, it is a more rigorous health system in the use of resources, it is a more competent health system, and it is a health system in which its staff, its great asset, is happier.

 
Photo from left. to right. Iñigo Lasa, director of Navarrabiomed; Carlos Artundo, director general of Health; Santos Induráin, Health Minister; Isabel de la Mata, senior advisor for Health and Crisis Management of the Directorate General of Health of the European Commission; Ana Ollo, Minister for Citizen Relations; Sergio Pérez, director general of External Action; and Marisol Fragoso, management director of Navarrabiomed.  
 

The IMPACT TEA program, promoted by the Carlos III Health Institute in the Strategic Health Action call, plans to recruit a total of 1,000 patients from 6 Autonomous Communities, including Navarra.

With the aim of fostering translational research and advancing the understanding of the genetic basis of autism, the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) has promoted, within the framework of the National Strategy for Precision Medicine, the IMPACT TEA program, in which the University Hospital of Navarra and the Biomedical Research Centre of Navarra, Navarrabiomed, take part. The research is funded with 3 million within the Strategic Action in Health (AES) projects.
The study, which is entitled "Comprehensive study of genetic and molecular variation of Autism Spectrum Disorders”, has recently started and is led by the Gregorio Marañón Hospital from Madrid. In addition to the Navarrese entities, it has the participation of the Virgen de Arrixaca University Hospital from Murcia, the Virgen del Rocío Hospital of Sevilla, the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona and the University Complex of Santiago/Public Foundation for Genomic Medicine from Galicia.
It should be noted that tomorrow is the World Autism Awareness Day, which this year will address inclusive education in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically the 4th: ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
 
Features of the research

Despite being a very common disease with a prevalence in Europe of 1 in 100 and that continues to increase thanks to better detection, the studies on autism carried out so far are inconclusive and their genetic bases are still unclear. Currently, clinical practice applies a standardized diagnostic protocol with multiple complementary tests, however, in a high percentage of children with ASD (around 70-80%) the cause of autism is not known.
The IMPACT TEA program aims to recruit a total of 1,000 children coming from 6 Autonomous Communities, a sample size that generates scientifically based knowledge transferable to clinical practice.
The aim of the study is to create genetic diagnostic algorithms that can be used for facilitating and speeding up decision-making in the healthcare process, incorporating a variety of diagnostic tests into the national health system, selected based on the foreseeable diagnostic performance for each patient on an individualized basis.
In Navarra, the project is formed by a multidisciplinary team composed of neuropaediatricians, psychiatrists and psychologists from the public health network of Navarra, and staff from the Genomic Medicine Unit of Navarrabiomed.
To carry out the research a sample of 160 patients under the age of 16 with ASD will be recruited from the neuropediatric consultations of the HUN, with suspected genetic basis associated with different comorbidities. Whole genome sequencing will be applied to all of them, a novel technique that allows sequencing the entire genome of the individual at once, obtaining information to better understand the genetic bases of this disease.
"The progress in research will allow us to move forward to avoid, for both the child and his or her family, an interminable amount of tests and interventions”, explains Nerea Gorría Redondo, neuropaediatrician of the HUN and Principal Investigator of the project, referring to the progress made by whole genome sequencing in rare diseases compared to the performance of complementary tests that are usually performed, including specific genetic tests guided by a clinical suspicion, often a trial and error process that can be prolonged in time without obtaining results.
“This type of analysis can help us to refine the genetic cause more precisely and earlier, thus impacting on the improvement of prognosis and the prevention of comorbidities”, concludes Gorría.
 
Towards precision personalized medicine

The IMPACT TEA study emerged from the NAGEN Pediatrics project, an initiative started in 2020 that, thanks to the application of whole genome sequencing, is making it possible to shorten diagnosis times in children with different genetic diseases that are difficult to diagnose (sometimes years) to 2-3 weeks, currently, in a significant percentage of cases. 
In turn, NAGENPediatrics is part of the NAGEN program, which pursues the advancement in the knowledge and use of genomic analysis technology in the public health network of Navarra, together with NAGEN1000, PharmaNAGEN, NAGENMx and NAGENCOL. Led by Navarrabiomed, the NAGEN Program is supported by the Department of Economic and Business Development of the Government of Navarra, within the framework of the Smart Specialization Strategy (S4).