The research center Applied Medicine (CIMA) of the University of Navarra has initiated the development of 4 international projects on acute intermittent porphyria, heart failure, hepatitis C and lung cancer. The programs of study, involving more than 20 European countries (plus Egypt and Morocco), have received a total of 21 million euros from the European Union for up to five years.

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP ) is a rare hereditary disease that affects 1 in 50,000 people, although in countries such as Sweden the incidence rises to 30 in 50,000 people. Patients have a deficiency in one of the proteins involved in the synthesis of the heme molecule, essential in such important functions as detoxification and cellular respiration. "A partial deficiency of this protein in the liver causes neurotoxic molecules to accumulate in the blood. As a consequence, it causes abdominal pain, fatigue and motor deficiencies, which severely affects the patient's quality of life. The goal of the AIPgene consortium is to transport the gene encoding this protein to the liver of AIP patients to correct the disease. To do so, we will use an adeno-associated virus (AAV), which has been shown to be very safe in humans," explain Dr. Gloria González Aseguinolaza and Dr. Antonio Fontanellas, coordinators of project at CIMA. The clinical essay will be carried out at Clínica Universidad de Navarra, under the direction of Dr. Jesús Prieto.

Mechanisms of diastolic heart failure

Heart failure frequently occurs in patients with metabolic pathology (diabetes, obesity, etc.). In Europe, at least 15 million people suffer from heart failure; of these, more than half have diastolic heart failure. The prevalence of this syndrome continues to increase due to the progressive aging of the population and the growing prevalence of metabolic diseases. The project average aims to learn how metabolic pathology contributes to the development of diastolic heart failure. "Understanding the mechanisms involved in cardiac deterioration will allow us to improve the criteria for its diagnosis and to design new treatments aimed at delaying and even preventing its development", explains Dr. Javier Díez, coordinator of one of the groups of work of this project.

On the other hand, the project HEPACUTE is an action of international cooperation between countries of the European Union and non-EU Mediterranean countries, such as Morocco and Egypt. It focuses on the study of different factors involved in acute hepatitis C virus infection, as well as their relationship with the antiviral immune response and the subsequent evolution of the disease. According to Dr. Pablo Sarobe and Dr. Juan José Lasarte, "it also aims to identify new biomarkers that allow the implementation of new hepatitis C treatment strategies".

Finally, CIMA participates in a European project on lung cancer. This is the most lethal oncological disease in the world, due to the fact that there are currently no effective therapies. "The goal of our project Curelung is to validate new therapeutic strategies, such as epigenetic alterations that can serve as targets for these treatments. We also want to define markers that determine tumor response to therapy. The development of a therapeutic prediction model based on epigenetic factors will lay the groundwork instructions in the future for personalized treatment of both lung cancer and other epithelial cancers," says Dr. Luis Montuenga, coordinator of project at CIMA.