We developed and validated a novel method for measuring optic chiasm atrophy and developed a Simoa-based assay to measure the levels of CHI3L1 in body fluids. We found that changes in serum NfL levels over the first year of disease-modifying therapy (DMT) predicted disease activity and disability accrual 2 years after DMT onset, and were also useful when added to Rio, modified Rio and MAGNIMS scores of treatment response. We developed deep learning models to classify patients based on their disability level and studied those brain areas most relevant for such prediction. Additionally, we successfully validated a dysphagia screening scale for MS patients in Spanish. We demonstrated that a single dose of live attenuated vaccine protects 2/3 of non-immunosuppressed MS patients, thereby reducing the time to initiate DMT and led the first European consensus on vaccination for MS patients. Our team is also engaged in in-depth research on rare diseases, particularly NMOSD and MOGAD.
eCORE
- Brain & Mind and Behaviour
- Chronic, Prevalent Diseases & Aging
- Personalized Medicine, Innovative Diagnostics, Molecular Imaging & Digital Health
- Woman & Child Health & Rare Diseases
Team
Group Leader
Xavier Montalban Gairín
Principal Investigator (PI)
Georgina Arrambide García, Álvaro Cobo Calvo, Manuel Comabella López, Carmen Espejo Ruiz, Arnau Hervera Abad, Nicolás Miguel Fissolo, Sunny Malhotra, Xavier Montalban Gairín, Jaume Sastre-Garriga, Mar Tintoré Subirana, Carmen Tur Gomez, Àngela Vidal Jordana
Researchers
Helena Ariño Rodríguez, Elisenda Anglada Clofent, María Jesús Arévalo Navinés, Joaquín Castilló Justribó, Herena Eixarch Ahufinger, Ingrid Galán Cartañá, Alexis García Serreón, Rebeca Menéndez Díaz, Andrés Miguez González, Carlos Nos Llopis, Jordi Río Izquierdo, Xavier Sibera Aresté, Ana Zabalza De Torres
PhD Students
Luca Bollo, Imame Boutitah Benyaich, René Carvajal, Llucia Coll Benajam, Delon La Puma, Elisa Marín Ordovás, Edwin Roger Meza Murillo, Luciana Midaglia Fernández, Neus Mongay Ochoa, Agustin Pappolla, Rucsanda Pinteac, Miguel Ángel Robles Sánchez, Breogán Rodríguez Acevedo, Carmen Santoyo Medina, Andreu Vilaseca Jolonch, Javier Villacieros Àlvarez
Lab Technicians
Mireia Castillo Juárez, Lucía Gutiérrez Ruiz, Gloria López Comellas
Nursing and Technical Staff
Sergio Aguilar Alegre, Irene Alarcón Giménez, Montserrat Aroca Alsina, Patricia Arrieta Perna, Jordina Beltrán Vallés, Gabriela Bravo Vera, Sergio Cabello Martínez, Gabriel L. Camiña Rodríguez, Margarida Capell Maymó, Pere Josep Carbonell Miravet, Marga Carranza Jiménez, Marta Castro de la Visitación, Júlia Comulada Ferrer, Javier Domeño Baztán, Caterina Fernández Garberí, Silvia Ferrer López, Milagros Fraga Pereira, Rafael García Mérida, Montserrat García Serqueda, Josep Graells Salvador, Alex Granda Soto, Ana Isabel Guerrero Pérez, María Gloria Henríquez Gaztañondo, Montserrat Janer Cabo, Gaizka Loyola Sanmillán, Helena Llorente Blasco, José David Márquez Parra, Nuria Martínez Royuela, Núria Martínez Sabaté, Elisabeth Morilla Castillo, Nerea Morilla Pérez, Dúnia Muñoz Valdivielso, Margarita Navarro Pérez, Oriol Nualart Mundó, Ana María Pérez Rubio, Marta Pulido Salgado, Lidia Ramos Hernández, Mireia Resina Sallés, Marta Rodríguez Barranco, Montserrat Romero Reinaldos, Julià Enric Rubio Roca, Margarita Sáez López, Samuel Sánchez Pous, Agusto César Sao Avilés, Karen Amanda Segura Davila, Andrea Serrano Mascarós, Ricard Soriano Baliarda, Cristina Ustrell Garrido, Sergio Vergara Ruíz, Cristina Vetoret Vázquez
Publications
Villacieros-Álvarez J, Espejo C, Arrambide G, Castillo M, Carbonell-Mirabent P, Rodriguez M, Bollo L, Castilló J, Comabella M, Galán I, Midaglia L, Mongay-Ochoa N, Nos C, Rio J, Rodríguez-Acevedo B, Sastre-Garriga J, Tur C, Vidal-Jordana A, Vilaseca A, Zabalza A, Auger C, Rovira A, Montalban X, Tintoré M, Cobo-Calvo Á.
Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibodies in Adults with a First Demyelinating Event Suggestive of Multiple Sclerosis
Ann Neurol. 2023 Sep 14
DOI: 10.1002/ana.26793
IF: 11.2
Cobo-Calvo A, Tur C, Otero-Romero S, Carbonell-Mirabent P, Ruiz M, Pappolla A, Villacieros Alvarez J, Vidal-Jordana A, Arrambide G, Castilló J, Galan I, Rodríguez Barranco M, Midaglia LS, Nos C, Rodriguez Acevedo B, Zabalza de Torres A, Mongay N, Rio J, Comabella M, Auger C, Sastre-Garriga J, Rovira A, Tintore M, Montalban X.
Association of Very Early Treatment Initiation With the Risk of Long-term Disability in Patients With a First Demyelinating Event.
Neurology. 2023 Sep 26;101(13):e1280-e1292.
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207664
IF: 10.1
Tur C, Carbonell-Mirabent P, Cobo-Calvo Á, Otero-Romero S, Arrambide G, Midaglia L, Castilló J, Vidal-Jordana Á, Rodríguez-Acevedo B, Zabalza A, Galán I, Nos C, Salerno A, Auger C, Pareto D, Comabella M, Río J, Sastre-Garriga J, Rovira À, Tintoré M, Montalban X.
Association of Early Progression Independent of Relapse Activity With Long-term Disability After a First Demyelinating Event in Multiple Sclerosis.
JAMA Neurol. 2023 Feb 1;80(2):151-160
DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.4655
IF: 29
Sastre-Garriga J, Rovira A, García-Vidal A, Carbonell-Mirabent P, Alberich M, Vidal-Jordana A, Auger C, Tintore M, Montalban X, Pareto D.
Spinal cord reserve in multiple sclerosis.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2023 Jul;94(7):502-510
DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2022-330613
IF: 11.1
Fissolo N, Benkert P, Sastre-Garriga J, Mongay-Ochoa N, Vilaseca-Jolonch A, Llufriu S, Blanco Y, Hegen H, Berek K, Perez-Miralles F, Rejdak K, Villar LM, Monreal E, Alvarez-Lafuente R, Soylu OK, Abdelhak A, Bachhuber F, Tumani H, Martínez-Yélamos S, Sánchez-López AJ, García-Merino A, Gutiérrez L, Castillo-Trivino T, Lycke J, Rosenstein I, Furlan R, Filippi M, Téllez N, Ramió-Torrentà L, Lünemann JD, Wiendl H, Eichau S, Khalil M, Kuhle J, Montalban X, Comabella M.
Serum biomarker levels predict disability progression in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2023 Nov 8:jnnp-2023-332251
DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2023-332251
IF: 11.1
Projects
CPP2021-008475: Valorización de una terapia antígeno-específica para el tratamiento disruptivo de la diabetes tipo 1; esclerosis múltiple, miastenia gravis, enfermedad celíaca y artritis reumatoide.
Principal Investigator: Carmen Espejo
Agency: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
Funding: 217,313.9 €
Period: 09/02/2022-08/02/2025
PI22/00750: Desarrollo de un modelo global de reserva funcional y estructural del sistema nervioso central en esclerosis múltiple – Proyecto ResEM
Principal Investigator: Jaume Sastre-Garriga; Co-IP: Xavier Montalban
Agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 157,300 €
Period: 01/01/2023-31/12/2025
PI22/01570: Profiling of patients with highly active MS and assessment of highly efficacious treatment effects on the evolution of their disease
Principal Investigator: Georgina Arrambide García
Agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: Georgina Arrambide
Period: 01/01/2023-31/12/2025
FORT23/00034: TACTIC: Explorando soluciones a los retos de salud mediante ciencia disruptiva, terapias avanzadas y medicina de sistemas
Principal Investigator: Carmen Tur
Agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 415,998 €
Period: 01/01/2024-31/12/2027
101137235 – BEHIND-MS: Bridging EBV-Host ImbalaNce to Disease Onset and Progression in Multiple Sclerosis
Principal Investigator: Manuel Comabella
Agency: European Commission - HORIZON - Research and Innovation Actions (RIA)
Funding: 248,720 €
Period: 01/01/2024-31/12/2028
