Research into Pulmonary Fibrosis at the Clínic

The research activity is carried out by the Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) in Area 2 of Biopathology and Respiratory, cardiovascular and renal bioengineering in the inflammation and repair group in respiratory diseases. 

The main lines of research into Pulmonary Fibrosis are currently focused on: 

• O2 monitoring techniques in patients with DILD 

• Role of cryo-biopsy in the diagnosis of DILD 

• Role of autoimmunity in the fibrosing DILDs 

• Role of the resident mesenchymal cells of the lung in pulmonary fibrosis 

• Common mechanisms of emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis 

• Use of new imaging techniques in fibrosing DILDs 

• Sarcoidosis 

There are currently three clinical trials running, and 10 research projects being carried out. As regards the involvement in international networks or groups, the Clínic participates in: 

• Interstitial Lung Disease Core Network of the European Reference Network-Lung, of which there are only 2 centres in Spain.   

• Member of the Centre of Biomedical Research in a Respiratory Diseases Network  (CIBERES) (group CB06/06/0021), Pulmonary Fibrosis Line. 

• Member of the Barcelona Research Network (BRN). 

• Investigator of the IPF Observatory (Catalonian Network of Research into IPF). 

• Spanish IPF Register (Spanish Society of Chest Diseases). 

• Investigator of the FIBRONET network (national research network of fibrosis in different organs and which has been presented at the 2018 call for “Research Networks” Invigoration actions). 

• Investigator of the SAFER network (SArcoidosis Future in European Registry) (the only centre in Spain). 

The Hospital Clínic has an advisory group consisting of 10 representatives patient and periodically has sessions for specific patients, as well as annual events.