Research

Digestive Diseases

Translational Medicine
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Our research group is highly heterogeneous and includes clinical and experimental research. Our experience in clinical research has a wide circulation starting more than 30 years ago. Experimental studies have also been done, including gastroenterological as well as hepatic diseases either with high prevalence (alcoholic and viral liver diseases, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.) or outstanding relevance (variceal bleeding, esophageal diseases, Barrett’s esophagus, etc.). Indeed, our group plays an important role in the structure of CIBERehd (ISCIII).

Main Lines of Research

  • Experimental rat model of cirrhosis and ascites. (Soriano Pastor, German; Sanchez Ardid, Elisabet).
  • Mechanisms and prevention of bacterial translocation in rats with cirrhosis. (Soriano Pastor, German; Sanchez Ardid, Elisabet).
  • Experimental model of spontaneous and induced bacterial peritonitis: physiopathology and treatment. (Soriano Pastor, German; Sanchez Ardid, Elisabet).
  • MiRNAs expression profile in inflammatory bowel disease after stimulation with toll-like receptor ligands. (Soriano Pastor, German; Sanchez Ardid, Elisabet).
  • Cirrhosis regression in cirrhosis. (Villanueva Sanchez, Candido).
  • Physiopathology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of compensated cirrhosis. (Soriano Pastor, German; Poca Sans, Maria; Roman Abal, Eva Maria).
  • Physiopathology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of decompensated cirrhosis (bacterial infections, ascites, hepatorenal syndrome in cirrhosis, and hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis). (Soriano Pastor, German; Roman Abal, Eva Maria).
  • Cognitive impairment, falls, and quality of life in patients with cirrhosis. (Soriano Pastor, German; Roman Abal, Eva Maria).
  • Physiopathology of portal hypertension and varicose hemorrhage. (Villanueva Sanchez, Candido; Brujats Rubirola, Anna).
  • Physiopathology of non-varicose hemorrhage. (Villanueva Sanchez, Candido; Brujats Rubirola, Anna; Roman Abal, Eva Maria).
  • Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of hepatic vascular diseases. (Villanueva Sanchez, Candido; Brujats Rubirola, Anna).
  • Evaluating alcoholic hepatitis. (Brujats Rubirola, Anna).
  • Diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. (Cuyas Espi, Berta).
  • Diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune and metabolic liver diseases. (Torras Colell, Javier; Gallego Moya, Adolfo).
  • Diagnosis and treatment of chronic hepatitis B and C. (Torras Colell, Javier; Gallego Moya, Adolfo).
  • Diagnosis and treatment of hepatocarcinoma. (Gallego Moya, Adolfo; Cuyas Espi, Berta; Roman Abal, Eva Maria).
  • Screening for colorectal cancer. (Gordillo Abalos, Jorge; Pedregal Pascual, Patricia).
  • Study of biliary and pancreatic diseases and pancreatic cancer. (Concepcion Martin, Maria Del Mar; Guarner Argente, Carlos; Romito, Raffaella; Gomez Oliva, Cristina).
  • Physiopathology, diagnosis, and treatment of intestinal inflammatory disease (inflammatory bowel disease). (Garcia Planella, Esther; Bertoletti, Federico; Gordillo Abalos, Jorge).
  • Physiopathology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of reflux disease, Helicobacter infection, and esophageal disease. (Poca Sans, Maria; Escude Torrella, Laia).
  • Study of the small bowel diseases (Romero Mascarell, Cristina).
  • Diagnosis and treatment in advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy. (Guarner Argente, Carlos; Concepcion Martin, Maria Del Mar; Romero Mascarell, Cristina).
  • Diagnosis and treatment of acute pancreatitis, prevention of acute post-ERCP pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis, and pancreatic neoplasms: molecular studies, early detection, and treatment. (Gomez Oliva, Cristina; Romito, Raffaella).
  • Participation in various public-private clinical trials. (Escorsell Mañosa, Maria Angels; Soriano Pastor, German; Villanueva Sanchez, Candido; Gallego Moya, Adolfo; Argente, Carlos; Garcia Planella, Esther; Gordillo Abalos, Jorge; Torras Colell, Javier; Cuyas Espi, Berta; Brujats Rubirola, Anna; Roman Abal, Eva Maria; Sanchez Ardid, Elisabet).

Scientific Challenges

  • Consolidate the CIBEREHD, CIBER, Institut de Salud Carlos III research group by studying complications in cirrhosis.
  • Research Grup de Recerca de la UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona): Grup de Recerca de Complicacions de la Cirrosis Hepàtica.
  • Grup de Recerca Consolidat de la Generalitat (SGR).
  • Expand the hepatology research lab and develop new research.
  • Consolidate the portal hypertension research group.
  • Consolidate the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease research group.
  • Consolidate the pancreatic illness research line.
  • Consolidate the inflammatory bowel disease research line.
  • Consolidate the polyps and colon cancer research line.
  • Develop a digestive endoscopy research line.
  • Consolidate the endoscopy unit as CSUR (central for reference and excellence) in peroral endoscopic myotomy in Spain.
  • Group CIBERehd-evs.
  • One of the key challenges is to continue being actively involved in national and international collaborative research networks and working groups, such as the Steering Committee of the Spanish REHEVASC registry; Delphi panels; the PREDICT, CANONIC, and ACLARA study groups; the ENEIDA registry; the ERN RARE-LIVER network (VALDIG study); and the LIVERHOPE consortium and others.

Contact

Mª Angels Escorsell
MEscorsell@santpau.cat

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