Líneas de investigación

• Experimental endocarditis studies

  a) In vitro studies: New antibiotics activity. Antibiotic combined therapies against multi-drug Gram positive resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance mechanisms study.

  b) In vivo studies: Infectious endocarditis rabbit experimental model; treatment and prophylaxis studies. Human-like pharmacokinetic model. Catheter-related infections animal model; antibiotic treatment and prophylaxis studies.

• Clinical research

  a) Epidemiology and prognostic factors of various types of endocarditis using the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, the Spanish (GAMES registry) and several international (ICE. EuroEndo, MEDIC) databases of endocarditis:

  • Staphylococcus aureus, Viridans group streptococci, Abiotrophia/Granulicatella, Coagulase negative staphylococci, Enterococci, HACEK
  • Impact of vancomycin MIC on the prognosis of left endocarditis due to methicillin-sensitive and methicillin resistant S. aureus
  • Epidemiology of endocarditis on TAVI
  • Impact of liver cirrhosis on the prognosis of endocarditis
  • Diagnosis and treatment of infections / endocarditis on cardiovascular devices

  b) Diagnosis:

  • Role of molecular biology techniques (PCR 16S and 18S) on valvular tissue or intracardiac
  • electronic devices infections

  • Role of nuclear medicine techniques (leukocyte-labelled scintigraphy, PET/CT scan) in the diagnosis and extension of prosthetic valve endocarditis or intracardiac electronic devices infections

  c) Treatment of infectious endocarditis:

  • NIH clinical trial (2011-18) for the management of staphylococcal bacteraemia
  • FOSIMI clinical trial on treatment of MRSA endocarditis with the combination of fosfomycin plus imipenem
  • BACSARM clinical trial on treatment of MRSA bacteraemia/endocarditis with the combination of daptomycin plus fosfomycin
  • Antibiotic treatment of Enterococcus faecalis with a high level of resistance to aminoglycosides endocarditis with ampicillin plus ceftriaxone or daptomycin plus ampicillin
  • BLUEFIN clinical trial (Genentech GV39131) on the the treatment of complicated bacteraemia or infectious endocarditis due to S. aureus combining conventional antibiotic therapy plus immunotherapy associated with a monoclonal antibody with rifaximin
  • CF-301 clinical trial (Contrafect) on the treatment of complicated bacteraemia or infectious endocarditis due to S. aureus combining conventional antibiotic therapy plus a phage-derivate lysin (CF-301)
  • Mechanical trombectomy in patients with infective endocarditis and CNS embolisms
  • Antibiotic prophylaxis of cardiac surgery