On 12 March, the CaixaResearch Institute held its first public event with a lecture by Dr. Gabriel Rabinovich, Principal Investigator at the CaixaResearch Institute and a world leader in glycoimmunology.

In his presentation, “A Sweet Adventure from an Unexpected Discovery to the Design of New Therapies”, Dr. Rabinovich took us on a fascinating journey through his scientific career over the past 30 years. From a serendipitous discovery to its application in developing new therapeutic strategies with the potential to transform the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases.

The lecture was introduced by Dr. Josep Tabernero, Chairman of the Internal Scientific Committee of the CaixaResearch Institute and Director of the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO).

IrsiCaixa celebrated 30 years with an event analyzing research advances and discussing the challenges of future pandemics. Five years after the emergence of COVID-19, are we prepared to face future pandemics? What tools do we have? These are some of the key questions discussed during IrsiCaixa’s anniversary event.

Founded in 1995, the year with the highest number of AIDS-related deaths in Spain—almost 6,000—IrsiCaixa, a center promoted by the “la Caixa” Foundation and the Department of Health of the Government of Catalonia, has witnessed two devastating pandemics: HIV and COVID-19, responsible for 40 million and 7 million deaths worldwide, respectively. Now, 30 years after IrsiCaixa’s establishment and five years after the global impact of COVID-19,

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia and, despite its huge impact, there’s still no effective cure. Its impact on society is huge and it has been calculated that, by 2050, the number of cases of Alzheimer’s will have tripled, rising from the current 1.2 cases in Spain to 3.6 million. As the disease advances, there’s progressive neurodegeneration that affects not only memory but also the ability to relate to others and even the individual’s own identity.

For years, it was believed that the brain damage associated with Alzheimer’s, especially in the regions essential for memory, only occurred when two proteins were present: amyloid beta and tau. However, this hypothesis could be about to change.

One in eight people in the world lives with obesity. Since 1990, the rate in adults has doubled whilst in adolescents it has quadrupled. Nevertheless, we’re gradually improving our knowledge of this pathology, in spite of its continuing high prevalence and the stigma it carries. 

Today, as part of World Obesity Day, celebrated on 4 March, we talk to the expert Miguel López, a researcher from the CaixaResearch network at the Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS) of the University of Santiago de Compostela. With him we examine the latest advances to be made in the field of obesity.

In January this year a global commission,

Colorectal cancer will once again be one of the most commonly diagnosed types of tumour in Spain this year.

According to the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), 44,573 new cases will be detected in Spain this year. Worldwide, the incidence of this disease has doubled in the past 20 years, affecting more and more people under the age of 50. This trend is particularly worrying in some Western countries, where factors such as changes in diet and lifestyle, lack of exercise, alterations in the gut microbiome and exposure to certain adverse environmental factors may be playing a key role. 

What is causing the increase in cases among young people and how can we reduce these numbers?