La Marató Foundation funds two IGTP projects on sexual and reproductive health research
The funds raised in the latest edition of La Marató by 3Cat will finance 26 research projects led by 52 expert teams in sexual and reproductive health. These resources will be decisive in the coming years to find more answers to problems that, only in Catalonia, affect 3 million people, with 211,000 new cases each year, mostly among women and young people. The 52 awarded teams received their awards at an event held yesterday at the TV3 facilities.
The Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) has secured funding for two projects in the latest La Marató 2023 call, dedicated to sexual and reproductive health. Participation in these projects reinforces the IGTP's commitment to translational and innovative research that has a direct impact on improving public health.
One of the funded projects, led by Cristina Agustí, a researcher at the Centre for Epidemiological Studies on HIV/AIDS and STI of Catalonia (CEEISCAT) at the IGTP, will develop new online tools aimed at young people to promote understanding and care for sexual health with a gender perspective. The project includes:
- TESTA'T, an online platform for self-sampling to detect STIs and HIV, with direct access to free treatment in case of a positive result.
- iCoNNECTA, a digital notification tool for sexual partners, developed with respectful and inclusive language.
- ChatBot-AI, specifically designed for young people, offering clear and adapted information on sexual health.
These tools are proposed as an accessible, convenient, stigma-free model of care with a gender and LGTBI+ perspective, aiming to break down barriers to accessing information and sexual health services among young people in Catalonia. The project involves the Fight Against Infections Foundation, the Barcelona Public Health Agency, the Youth Sexuality Support Centre (CJAS), and the Microbiology Service of Germans Trias Hospital.
The second project, coordinated by the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), includes the participation of Aintzane Urbizu, a researcher from the Molecular and Translational Pathology group at the IGTP. This multidisciplinary project addresses the sexual and emotional challenges of breast cancer survivors, as well as their quality of life, with an innovative scientific approach:
- Identifying molecular mechanisms to predict which cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) will progress to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC).
- Developing advanced technical tools, such as spatial transcriptomics and Raman spectroscopy, to better stratify DCIS lesions and redefine their classification based on the risk of progression.
This approach will improve the clinical management of these lesions, avoiding unnecessary aggressive treatments and preserving the sexual, reproductive, and emotional health of patients.
Data on IGTP projects that have received funding:
Breaking barriers: A new approach to awareness, diagnosis, treatment, and partner notification for STIs among young people in Catalonia - The TESTA'T-iCoNNECTA-Youth Project
- Dr Cristina Agustí Benito - CEEEISCAT, IGTP
- Dr M. Cristina Rius i Gibert - Fundació Institut de Recerca Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau - Barcelona Public Health Agency
- Dr Beatriz Mothe Pujadas - Fundació Lluita Contra la Sida i les Malalties Infeccioses i per a la Promoció de la Salut
Funding: €396,881.79
Deciphering the progression of ductal carcinoma in situ to avoid overtreatment of patients and improve the impact on sexual and reproductive health
- Dr Vicente Peg Cámara - Fundació Institut de Recerca Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron
- Dr Gemma Fuster Orellana - Fundació Universitària Balmes - Institut de Recerca i Innovació en Ciències de la Vida i Salut de la Catalunya Central
- Dr Aintzane Urbizu Serrano - IGTP
Funding: €386,488.75
Despite being very common, sexual and reproductive health issues are still largely silenced and therefore remain largely invisible. For this reason, giving voice to many testimonies and creating spaces for reflection and awareness were some of the core objectives of the latest edition of La Marató.
From now on, researchers will begin an intense and decisive marathon to develop new prevention tools, diagnostic methods, and more effective treatments for diseases affecting sexual and reproductive health, while offering a comprehensive approach to issues with a significant impact on people's lives.
The 26 selected projects, approved by the Foundation's Board of Trustees on the proposal of the Scientific Advisory Committee, were the highest rated among the 108 projects submitted in the latest research funding call. The Catalan Agency for Quality and Health Evaluation (AQUAS) of the Department of Health coordinated an international evaluation process in which 94 experts in sexual and reproductive health assessed the projects based on their quality and methodology, scientific, health and social relevance, and their innovative and transformative value, among other criteria.
In its 32 years of history, La Marató has funded 1,048 research projects led by 1,762 top-level teams, involving 10,900 researchers who have made essential advances in the health of society as a whole.