CARE expands its research community and strengthens links between research and clinical practice at its fourth Annual Meeting
The Translational Program in Cancer Research (CARE) of the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) held its fourth Annual Meeting on 22 October. The event brought together researchers and healthcare professionals to share projects and research activities, meet the new groups joining the program and review the work carried out so far. The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss CARE's future direction and introduce the Consorci Oncològic Integral Nord Catalunya (NordCat-CCC), recently established.
The Annual Meeting reflects CARE's commitment to fostering collaboration in cancer research. Established in 2022, the program aims to connect teams working in this field across the Can Ruti Campus, encourage the sharing of resources and promote projects that bring laboratory discoveries closer to clinical practice. Led by IGTP in collaboration with Germans Trias Hospital, the Institut Català d'Oncologia, the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, IrsiCaixa and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona -institutions that form part of the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) IGTP- CARE has developed a working structure that facilitates collaboration between professionals from different disciplines.
A space to share research and introduce new groups
The IV CARE Annual Meeting, held at the Badalona International Business Centre (BCIN), was divided into two parts, with the morning focusing mainly on basic research and the afternoon dedicated to clinical research.
The event opened with a welcome from CARE co-directors Mireia Margelí and Eduard Serra, followed by a first session introducing the groups joining the program. Under the title "The Present of CARE", representatives from the groups Respiratory and Immune Repair (REPAIR), Tissue Virology (VITI), Neoantigens and Vaccines against Cancer (NeoVaCan) and Cellular Virology and Immunology (VIC) presented their lines of research. The following session, "The Future of CARE", gave the floor to predoctoral researchers Laura Torres and Angèlica Ferrando, who presented their work in basic and clinical research, respectively.
The keynote lecture was delivered by Rodrigo de Almeida Toledo, a researcher at the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, who discussed the development of liquid biopsy biomarkers for immunotherapy based on findings from the longitudinal IMMUNOMICS cohort. His presentation focused on the potential of this approach to advance precision medicine and improve the monitoring of patients with cancer.
During the lunch break, a poster session allowed participants to learn more about the research presented and exchange ideas with the authors. The previous day, these researchers had already had the opportunity to briefly present their projects during a flash talks session held at IGTP.
CARE's progress and its links with clinical practice
The afternoon session began with an update on the CARE program by its co-directors, who reviewed the activities carried out, monitoring indicators and internal working groups established to address shared needs and objectives. This session provided an opportunity to assess the program's progress and discuss priorities for the coming months.
This was followed by a roundtable discussion on surgical services, moderated by Mireia Margelí and Miguel Ángel Peinado, with the participation of professionals from different specialties: Pedro Enrique López de Castro, Sergio Martínez, Lidia Blay, Gemma Viñas, Edurne Pedrosa and Silvia Comas.
Following an interactive quiz, the event included an update on the NordCat-CCC consortium, presented by Ricard Mesía, director of the consortium, and Mireia Margelí. This new alliance between healthcare and research institutions in Badalona and Girona aims to integrate cancer care, research, innovation and education, and work towards European recognition as a Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
Towards the end of the event, the award for best poster was also announced. It went to Aida Font, a PhD researcher from IGTP's Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics group, for her work entitled "Generation and characterization of an Epstein-Barr Virus-positive gastric cancer organoid".
The meeting concluded with closing remarks from Mireia Margelí and Eduard Serra. Now in its fourth edition, the CARE Annual Meeting has consolidated as a meeting point for the Can Ruti Campus cancer research community, helping to raise the visibility of ongoing projects, bring in new perspectives and strengthen connections between professionals working in this field.
