The MCS (Medicinal Chemistry & Synthesis) group is focused on chemical research to generate knowledge and therapeutic technologies combining the improvement and optimization of existing drug molecules and the definition of new therapeutic approaches. The MCS, under the direction of Dr Amadeu Llebaria, includes the Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry (MedChemLab) and the Service of Synthesis of High Added Value Molecules (SIMChem), both belonging to the Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
The research projects are in the boundaries between chemistry and biology with the goal to develop new therapeutics and to find molecules useful for the study of basic biological processes and mechanisms. Main research topics include photopharmacology, immunotherapy and chemical methods for native protein labelling.
Besides its basic research activities, the group is actively involved in R+D+i industrial projects concerted with companies working mainly in the chemical, pharmaceutical and biosciences fields. MCS provides research support and chemical expertise and advice to academic groups or companies in custom synthesis, process development, medicinal chemistry and analytical methods development.
The PhotoHeart project, supported by “la Caixa” Foundation, aims to provide early and localized treatment after a heart attack to significantly reduce cardiac tissue damage, thus boosting patient recovery and minimizing future cardiac conditions. To this end, the MCS team led by Amadeu Llebaria, from IQAC-CSIC, in collaboration with teams from VHIR and Johns Hopkins University, is developing a photopharmacological therapy that will allow light-controlled drugs to be administered and only activated in the area most affected by reperfusion injury by attaching a light device to the catheter used to open the arteries.
MCS has been accredited as TECNIO centre. This is a certification granted by the Catalan government (Generalitat de Catalunya) which identifies expert technological centers and academic groups involved in applied research in Catalonia, with the aim to promote the transfer of technology from academia to industry to help companies create new products, processes or services.
As part of this certification, we have implemented a Quality Management System to ensure that our services meet our customer’s requirements.
For more information about the TECNIO program, visit its website or watch the promotional video.
