Why focus on immunology?
The future centre, which will open in Barcelona, will be the first in Spain and one of the first in Europe to focus specifically on immunology, employing a multi-focus approach that includes the different scientific disciplines and technologies involved in the study of the system immune. It will also pay particular attention to innovation and the transfer of results to society.
The immune system is not only our first line of defence against classic pathogens such as viruses and bacteria but also a system that detects other harmful agents from both inside and outside our bodies. Our T and B cell receptors (the guards in our immune system) maintain a living memory of all the viruses, bacteria and other molecules they've already come across in our body and which produce an internal reaction that activates our defence mechanisms. This precise detection system can help us differentiate our own cells from everything else, making it a candidate for developing target treatments against malfunctioning cells, such as cancer cells, viruses and bacteria, among others.
A firm commitment to research
In 2021, ”la Caixa” Foundation, under its President Isidro Fainé, allocated more than 36 million euros to research and innovation projects in biomedicine and health that are carried out at research centres, universities and hospitals in Spain and Portugal, where the institution collaborates with more than a hundred organisations, either by giving structural support or aid to research projects. This new centre therefore consolidates and strengthens ”la Caixa” Foundation's support for cutting edge research and innovation in Spain and Portugal.
Last year alone, researchers supported by CaixaResearch - the Research and Health branch of ”la Caixa” Foundation - produced nearly 1,100 indexed scientific publications. Moreover, in the area of transferring knowledge to the world of business, 12 new biomedical firms were created and 21 patents were registered.
