Neurodegenerative archivos | IQAC - Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya

Tau Immune Doctoral Training Network: Strategies for Diagnosis and Innovative Therapies in Dementia

Representación molecular de agregados de proteína tau en una investigación sobre diagnóstico y terapias innovadoras para la demencia.

Alzheimer’s disease, like other tauopathies, is associated with the neuronal tau protein, responsible for intraneuronal aggregation that ultimately leads to neurofibrillary degeneration and synaptic dysfunction. Early diagnosis and treatments for these pathologies remain a major health challenge.

TAME constitutes the first European network focused on tau with the objective of better understanding tau-related diseases to develop safer, more personalized, and more effective diagnostic tools and treatments. The project will provide nanobodies with the capacity to recognize the tau protein in its various forms. The combination of nanobodies with cutting-edge technologies will give rise to new tools for diagnosing pathologies, as well as for correlating them with different tau forms. Furthermore, bioengineered products are envisioned for novel therapeutic approaches.

In the context of a Doctoral Network, TAME will train a generation of multidisciplinary young scientists in the field of molecular neuroscience.

Interdisciplinary doctoral training in oligonucleotide-based therapies for Myotonic Dystrophy

Piezas de puzle que conectan genética y distrofia miotónica en una formación sobre terapias basadas en oligonucleótidos.

Rare diseases pose significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, and Myotonic Dystrophy (DM), the most common hereditary muscular dystrophy in adults, remains without effective treatments due to its genetic complexity and the limited efficacy of antisense oligonucleotides evaluated. ENTRY-DM brings together an interdisciplinary and intersectoral consortium with 9 academic and 2 non-academic partners to train 14 high-potential doctoral candidates in ASO design and delivery, disease mechanism research, advanced experimental models, and clinical trial preparation, creating a framework transferable to other RNA-mediated diseases and aligned with European and international priorities in rare diseases. By integrating cutting-edge science, international mobility, and interdisciplinary training to overcome barriers, from genotype-phenotype correlations to ASO biodistribution, the program strengthens European leadership in ASO-based therapies and lays the foundation for future clinical trials.

Light-activated non-opioid drugs for pain treatment without side effects

Haces de luz de colores que simbolizan la activación de fármacos no opioides para tratar el dolor sin efectos secundarios.

Current analgesic treatments have significant limitations, as they very often affect the entire organism and can generate adverse effects due to systemic drug exposure. In the Druglight4Pain consortium, we propose an innovative strategy based on a new non-opioid therapeutic target that can be utilized through light-sensitive compounds, activated only locally and at specific times. This allows for localized and reversible pain control, reducing systemic drug exposure and improving safety. The project combines advances in chemistry and biomedicine to develop new, safer, and more effective therapeutic solutions, contributing to improving patients’ quality of life.