Group information

The UGC-REU (Rheumatology Clinical Management Unit) of the HCSC and the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Service (COT) have a recognised track record in the field of lymphocyte activation in autoimmune pathology, particularly in rheumatoid arthritis and more recently in osteoarthritis. They have worked with public and private funding and have numerous publications in this field.

From this line, in the last decade, a working group has been created comprising researchers from different specialities (cell biologists, molecular biologists and epidemiologists). This effort has led to the establishment of different parallel and integrated lines of work (1) Genetic polymorphisms in rheumatoid arthritis (2) Viruses and musculoskeletal diseases (3) Proteomics in musculoskeletal diseases (4) Mesenchymal stem cells and (5) Epidemiology and clinical studies. It is therefore a multidisciplinary group.

There is a line of work focused on the study of the pathology of articular cartilage in osteoarthritis and in relation to mesenchymal progenitor cells, to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the stimulation and regeneration of articular cartilage in osteoarthritis and the study of the inflammatory mechanisms involved in osteoarthritis, based on mesenchymal progenitor cells. It has been possible to maintain functional laboratories, properly equipped and staffed with stable and well-trained personnel in different cellular and molecular techniques. Recently, thanks to the FCCI sub-programme, ACI-Plan E modality of the national R&D internationalisation programme, aid PLE2009-0143 has been granted under the title “Application of regenerative therapies in humans”. This aid, destined to finance the implementation of a “Clean Room” with GMP quality, will allow us in the not too distant future to apply our basic research in human regenerative therapies.

Quality research in the field of epidemiology and health systems research is maintained.