UB researchers awarded with Ciutat de Barcelona Awards

Researcher Antonella Consiglio.
Researcher Antonella Consiglio.
Research
(12/02/2020)

Two UB researchers were among the awardees in the 2020 edition of the Ciutat de Barcelona Awards.

Regarding the category of Life Sciences, the prize was awarded to a project led by Antonella Consiglio, ICREA researcher from the Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, the Institute of Biomedicine of the UB (IBUB) and the Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), and Ángel Raya, member of the Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona (CMR[B]/IDIBELL).

 

 

Researcher Antonella Consiglio.
Researcher Antonella Consiglio.
Research
12/02/2020

Two UB researchers were among the awardees in the 2020 edition of the Ciutat de Barcelona Awards.

Regarding the category of Life Sciences, the prize was awarded to a project led by Antonella Consiglio, ICREA researcher from the Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, the Institute of Biomedicine of the UB (IBUB) and the Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), and Ángel Raya, member of the Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona (CMR[B]/IDIBELL).

 

 

The awarded research study, “Patient-specific IPSC-derived astrocytes contribute to non-cell autonomous neurodegeneration in Parkinsonʼs disease”, was published in January 2019 in the journal Stem Cell Reports. One of the main conclusions of the study is that the defective variants of the astrocytes -a type of human glial cells- are related to the accumulation of a toxic protein, typical from Parkinsonʼs disease.

The analysed astrocytes, from patients with Parkinsonʼs disease with a genetic mutation, created a larger accumulation of the toxin α-synuclein compared to healthy individualsʼ samples. This new study suggests an important role of glial cells in Parkinsonʼs disease and proposes potential new therapeutic targets.

Ciutat de Barcelona Awards honor the creation, research and production conducted by people or groups working in Barcelona and institutions and organizations from Barcelona. The award ceremony will take place on February 11 at 6 p.m. in Saló de Cent in the Barcelona City Council.

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