la Caixa" Foundation promotes a biomedical research project at the University with 995,000 euros

la Caixa" Foundation will finance with 995,000 euros the project of Frank J. Hernández,Ikerbasque researcher at Tecnun - School of Engineering of the University of Navarra, aimed at developing a precision targeted therapy to combat antibiotic resistance. The initiative is carried out in consortium with Markus Zeitlinger, from the Medizinische Universität Wien (Austria).

The project addresses the treatment of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a pathogen responsible for infections that are difficult to treat and whose incidence poses a public health challenge. The proposal focuses on the development of a treatment that is activated exclusively at the site of infection, thereby reducing side effects and improving efficacy.

The goal is to advance this technology through extensive studies to support the submission of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application , with the ultimate goal of opening the door to human trials and transforming the treatment of MRSA infection.

To this end, analytical methods will be developed to detect the treatment, pharmacological studies will be carried out in mice, the safety profile of the new drug will be evaluated and its submission to regulatory agencies will be prepared.

Preliminary data indicate that it is a highly effective and safe treatment in preclinical models. In addition to precisely targeting MRSA infections, it reduces the risk of antibiotic resistance and minimizes toxicity. By combining precise and targeted drug delivery with reduced toxicity, the treatment has the potential to improve patient outcomes and contribute to the ongoing global effort to combat antimicrobial resistance.

submission of grants under the competitive call for proposals

The 2025 edition of the "la Caixa" Foundation's Health Research call for proposals has selected 34 new biomedical research projects, which have been awarded up to one million euros each. They are led by 25 Spanish and 9 Portuguese research centers, universities and hospitals.

In this eighth edition, 714 basic research, clinical and translational basic research proposals were submitted, especially aimed at addressing health challenges in various fields: neurosciences, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, oncology, infectious diseases and enabling technologies in some of these fields.

The call, which this year allocates 26 million euros to biomedical research, offers up to 500,000 euros to initiatives led by a single institution and up to one million euros to those developed in consortia. In this edition, the collaborative proposals include the participation of groups from seven countries.

234 projects promoted since 2018

The Science Museum CosmoCaixa hosted yesterday the ceremony of submission of these grants, which was attended by several representatives of the "la Caixa" Foundation as the Deputy Director General of Research and Grants, Àngel Font, and the Deputy Director General, Esther Planas. The event was also attended by the president of the Luzón Foundation, María José Arregui, and the vice-president of Research at Breakthrough T1D, Esther Latres, as well as the researchers who are leading the projects.

In the words of Àngel Font, "biomedical research is one of the most powerful ways to improve people's lives. The 34 award-winning projects address very diverse challenges from different perspectives, but they all share three fundamental axes to advance towards a more hopeful future for patients and their families: collaboration, talent and innovation".

Since the program's inception in 2018, the total allocation of the call has been 172.3 million euros for 234 projects, of which 162 are led by Spanish teams, and 72, by research groups from Portugal. This is currently one of the reference letter calls for research in biomedicine and health in Spain.

The agreements with the Breakthrough T1D Foundation and the Luzon Foundation have made it possible in this edition to place a greater focus on funding initiatives focused on subject 1 diabetes - two projects are funded - and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - with one project selected. The call is also carried out in collaboration with the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), a public body linked to the Portuguese Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, which allocates 1.8 million euros to subsidize 3 of the 9 Portuguese projects awarded in this edition.