La Marató de TV3 Foundation will finance 4 mental health projects of the Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute (IIB Sant Pau), thanks to the funds raised in the last edition, especially dedicated to these diseases.
One of the projects is led by Dra. Maria Portella and consists of a phase III clinical trial, randomized, controlled with an active comparator, to study the effectiveness and safety of the Integral Cognitive REMediation (INCREM) program in patients with depression.
On the other hand, Dr. Joaquim Soler will conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of RODBT skills training in patients with eating disorders and autism spectrum traits, which will be a proof-of-concept study.
Dr. Javier de Diego Adeliño will carry out work on depression and the role and modulation of miRNAs in the anterior cingulate cortex as peripheral biomarkers and targets for promising nanotherapies, within the framework of a project coordinated by the CSIC.
In addition, Dr. Narcís Cardoner Álvarez will study the influence of the intestinal microbiota and derived metabolites in major depression in a neurometabolomics study of knowledge transfer in the irritable bowel and porcine model.
In total, 36 research projects, led by 81 research teams who are experts in mental health, will be financed with the funds raised in the last edition of La Marató de TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio.
At the event where the selected projects were made public, the researcher at the Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital Research Institute, Dra. M. Jesús Portella, representing all the awardees, thanked for the award and assured that he is aware of the responsibility that receiving these funds represents: “I want to thank the La Marató Foundation for dedicating a program to the mental health, which, with the solidarity of the people, allows us to carry out this research, which is what drives us.”
In the 2021 edition, 150 projects were presented, which were evaluated by 111 international scientists specializing in this subject based on their quality, methodology and relevance. The management of the evaluation was carried out by the Health Quality and Evaluation Agency of Catalonia, of the Department of Health.
