Research

Area 2

Nephro-urological diseases and kidney transplantation

Team leader

Strategic objectives

The general objectives of this research team are to gain in-depth knowledge of the physiopathology and treatment of diseases of the kidneys, urinary tract and male genital apparatus, as well as of the medical complications derived from renal replacement therapy in the form of dialysis or transplantation. The objectives include particularly the study of immunosuppression in aspects relating to pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

On the other hand, with the incorporation of a team specialized in transplant immunology, our objectives also include the improvement of allograft and xenograft tolerance, and minimization of the need for immunosuppressors. Another new challenge is to gain in-depth knowledge of the degree of immune depression achieved in patients in accordance with their needs: pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationship.

Main lines of research


1. Hereditary renal diseases, especially renal polycystosis, Alport syndrome and benign familial hematuria.

2. Amyloidosis associated with dialysis or beta-2-microglobulin, and other types of hereditary and non-hereditary amyloidosis with renal involvement.

3. Diabetic nephropathy and antiproteinuric effect of ARA II drugs.

4. Anemia of renal origin, and erythropoiesis-stimulating proteins in uremia.

5. Uremic myopathy.

6. Renal osteodystrophy and calcium-phosphorus metabolism.

7. Cardiovascular risk and accelerated arteriosclerosis in the renal patient.

8. Hepatitis C virus infection in patients on dialysis and renal transplantation.

9. Endothelial dysfunction and effect of the uremic medium upon the endothelial cells.

10. Chronic rejection and role of TGF-beta.

11. Dyslipidemia and cardiovascular risk in renal transplantation, and apolipoprotein polymorphisms.

12. Immunosuppressor drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics: Calcineurin inhibitors, sirolimus, rapamycin and MMF.

13. Renal-pancreatic transplantation and metabolic control.

14. Neoplasms of the urinary system (kidney, prostate and bladder).

15. Erectile dysfunction and the use of sildenafil in kidney transplantation.

16. Experimental kidney transplantation.

17. Definition of the molecular bases of the mechanisms regulating clonal anergy or deletion in a model of allogenic or xenogenic presentation, thus determining transplant antigen tolerance.

18. Definition of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters allowing the minimization of immune depression to meet the needs of each individual organ recipient.

19. Identification of strategies allowing the replacement of cell, organ or tissue functions with minimization of immune depressor use.

Our investigators also have lines of research shared with other teams of the IDIBAPS, very particularly in the fields of arterial hypertension, endothelial dysfunction and systemic autoimmune diseases with renal involvement.