About
The Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Research Group (GReMII, from its Catalan name Grup de Recerca en Malalties Inflamatòries Intestinals) is a multidisciplinary group led from the clinical side by Dr Eugeni Domènech, head of the Gastroenterology & Hepatology Department and the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) Unit at Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital (HUGTiP) and by Dr Josep Manyé Almero, Principal Investigator for Basic and Translational Research. The group is part of the CIBER Consortium (Spanish Ministry of Science) as well as part of the IBDomics and ENEIDA Consortium for genomic research in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, of which Dr Domènech is the coordinator.
GReMII has conducted cutting-edge research over the last 30 years, integrating clinical and translational reseach. Thus, it has positioned itself as a national and international leader in holistic care for IBD patients, resulting in its recognition and excellence certification by the Ad Qualitatem Foundation. Lately, the group has initiated innovative research aimed at solving the severe and recurrent complications associated with both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease (CD). Understanding, innovating, explaining and training are important and integrated parts of our scientific task with a view to transferring our results to clinical practice. The team combines experts in different skills to ensure that research questions are tackled from the most experimental side (IGTP) to the most clinical side (HUGTiP). The research lines are based on innovative research tools, which allow us to generate new hypotheses aimed at the development of a more personalized medicine, better therapies and improved patient management.
Keywords: ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, epitranscriptomic biomarkers, corticosteroid resistance, postoperative recurrence, extracellular vesicles, creeping fat as a therapeutic target.
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Group leader
- Eugeni Domènech, MD, PhD
Eugeni Domènech, MD, PhD
Prof Eugeni Domènech started his research activity at the end of his training in gastroenterology as a research fellow at Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, from 1994 to 1999. His main field of research in those early years was portal hypertension, but in 1995 he started to focus on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). After initial research on the safety of several immunosuppressant-based treatment strategies in IBD, he started his two main research lines on: 1) the pathogenesis, prediction, prevention and management of postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease; and 2) the epidemiology, prediction and management of steroid refractoriness in ulcerative colitis. In recent years, GReMII (the acronym of the group in Catalan) initiated two new research lines; firstly, IBD in the elderly and the impact of IBD activity on frailty. More recently, the group started clinical and translational research on the role of adipose tissue (mainly visceral fat) in the pathogenesis and clinical outcomes of Crohn's disease.
Domènech is currently the head of the Gastroenterology & Hepatology Department at Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, the president of the Catalan Society of Gastroenterology & Hepatoogy, and professor of Medicine at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. He was the president of the Spanish Working Group in Crohn's and Colitis (GETECCU) and is one of the founders and current chair of the Spanish ENEIDA registry of GETECCU.
Contact: eugenidomenech(ELIMINAR)@gmail.com
ORCID: 0000-0002-2315-7196 - Josep Manyé, PhD
Josep Manyé, PhD
IGTP-CIBER researcher.
Contact: jmanye(ELIMINAR)@igtp.cat
ORCID: 0000-0002-3121-8016
Team
Researchers
Miriam Mañosa, MD, PhD(ELIMINAR)
Margalida Calafat, MD, PhD(ELIMINAR)
PhD students
Roger Suau(ELIMINAR)
Maria Puig, MD(ELIMINAR)
Gisela Piñero, MD(ELIMINAR)
Nurse
Laura Marín
Medical specialist
Jordina Llaó, MD, PhD(ELIMINAR)
Research lines
- Ageing and frailty in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Obesity and visceral fat in inflammatory bowel disease
- Faecal calprotectin in the monitoring of inflammatory bowel disease
- Epitranscriptomic biomarkers for steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis and for postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease
- Development of acellular therapies targeting adipose tissue for Crohn's disease
Active projects
Assessment of isomiR profiles in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and their potential as biomarkers of corticoid response and postsurgical recurrence
PI: Eugeni Domènech
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agency code: PI22/01498
Duration: 2023 – 2025
Tolerogenic extracellular vesicles from stem cells restore the protective role of mesenteric adipose tissue against intestinal inflammation in Crohn's disease
PIs: Carolina Serrena/Josep Manyé
Funding agency: MICIU
Agency code: PID2023-146315OB-I00
Duration: 01/09/2024 – 31/09/2027
Characterization of the isomiR profile in inflammatory bowel disease and its potential role as biomarkers of response to corticosteroids and in the development of postoperative recurrence
PIs: Eugeni Domènech/Lauro Sumoy
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agency code: PI22/01498
Duration: 01/01/2023 – 31/12/2025
Predoctoral Trainee in Health Research (R. Suau)
PI: Josep Manyé
Funding Agengy: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agengy code: FI23/00246
Duration: 01/01/2024 – 31/12/2026
Past projects
Pathological involvement of ileal mesenteric fat in Crohn's disease: study of mechanism of transformation to creeping-fat and its potential as therapeutic target
PI: Josep Manyé
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agency code: PI20/00420
Duration: 01/01/2021 – 31/12/2024
Search for postsurgical recurrence biomarkers based on Systems Biology in Crohn's disease
PI: Míriam Mañosa
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agency code: PI18/00892
Duration: 2019 – 2023
Scientific publications
Highlighted 2024 publications
Mañosa M, Rivière P, de Greef I, Oller B, Roig C, Calafat M, Garcia-Planella E, Laharie D, Ferrante M, Domènech E. Long-term risk of delayed postoperative Crohn's disease recurrence in patients with no or mild endoscopic recurrence at first assessment. Eur J Clin Invest. 2024 Aug;54(8):e14219. DOI: 10.1111/eci.14219.
Clua-Ferré L, Suau R, Vañó-Segarra I, Ginés I, Serena C, Manyé J. Therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles: A focus on inflammatory bowel disease. Clin Transl Med. 2024 Nov;14(11):e70075. DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.70075.
Calafat M, Torres P, Tosca-Cuquerella J, Sánchez-Aldehuelo R, Rivero M, Iborra M, González-Vivo M, Vera I, de Castro L, Bujanda L, Barreiro-de Acosta M, González-Muñoza C, Calvet X, Benítez JM, Llorente-Barrio M, Surís G, Cañete F, Arias-García L, Monfort D, Castaño-García A, Garcia-Alonso FJ, Huguet JM, Marín-Jímenez I, Lorente R, Martín-Cardona A, Ferrer JÁ, Camo P, Gisbert JP, Pajares R, Gomollón F, Castro-Poceiro J, Morales-Alvarado J, Llaó J, Rodríguez A, Rodríguez C, Pérez-Galindo P, Navarro M, Jiménez-García N, Carrillo-Palau M, Blázquez-Gómez I, Sesé E, Almela P, Ramírez de la Piscina P, Taxonera C, Rodríguez-Lago I, Cabrinety L, Vela M, Mínguez M, Mesonero F, García MJ, Aguas M, Márquez L, Silva Porto M, Pineda JR, García-Etxebarría K, Bertoletti F, Brunet E, Mañosa M, Domènech E. Clinical and treatment outcomes of a second subcutaneous or intravenous anti-TNF in patients with ulcerative colitis treated with two consecutive anti-TNF agents: data from the ENEIDA registry. Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2024 Jan 5;17:17562848231221713. DOI: 10.1177/17562848231221713.
Additional information
Collaborative networks
The group is part of the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) and a key component of the Spanish Working Group on Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis (GETECCU). It also plays an active role in the Catalan Society of Digestology and the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO). In addition, the group is actively involved with patient organizations such as the Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Patients Association of Catalonia (ACCU) and Cure of Crohn's Disease.
Doctoral theses
Title: Characterization of gut microbiota in Sprague Dawley rats from different commercial sources and therapeutic outcomes and gut microbial changes after biological and probiotic treatments in a TNBS-induced colitis model.
Author: Sandra Barbosa Pérez
Supervisors: Dra. P. Vergara, Dr. B. Bartolí and Dr. J. Manyé
University: UAB
Date of defence: 07/03/2025
Title: Història natural i monitoratge de la recurrència postquirúrgicaa la malatia de Crohn.
Author: Blanca Oller
Supervisors: Míriam Mañosa & Eugeni Domènech
University: UAB
Date of defence: 09/2023
News
A study led by the CIBEREHD group at Hospital Germans Trias demonstrates for the first time how to reduce the number of colonoscopies and improve the follow-up of patients with Crohn’s disease
Specialists from the Digestive System Department at the Hospital Germans Trias and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Group (GReMII) at IGTP have led and published a unique study that represents an improvement in the monitoring and treatment of patients who have undergone surgery due to one of the main inflammatory bowel diseases: Crohn's disease.
Over a hundred professionals attend the UAB conference on the challenges facing university hospitals
The UAB organised a conference dedicated to the challenges of university hospitals, bringing together over one hundred professionals from the research institutes of affiliated hospitals and the University itself. Josep Manyé and Marc Jante from IGTP had the opportunity to briefly present their innovative research projects.