Four ISGlobal Projects Receive Funding from La Marató de 3Cat to Research Respiratory Diseases

The 10 million euros raised in the 2024 edition of La Marató de 3Cat will allow financing 36 research projects, led by 60 teams specialized in respiratory diseases. Four of these grants have been awarded to researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the “la Caixa” Foundation, with a total budget of 1,195,778 euros.

Pneumonia prevention in Sierra Leone

One of the ISGlobal projects funded by La Marató aims to identify the viral causes of severe pneumonia requiring hospitalization in children under five years old in Sierra Leone, in a context of high disease burden and limited resources, and to assess how these infections affect child health. The project, coordinated by Azucena Bardaji, will be carried out in collaboration with the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) of the University of Sierra Leone.

Validating a new tool for tuberculosis diagnosis

Another project selected by La Marató will study the diagnostic performance of a new molecular tool (MiniDock, by PlusLife) applied to samples obtained via tongue swabs to detect tuberculosis in two different epidemiological contexts: Barcelona and Zambezia (Mozambique). This test could identify patients in the early stages of the disease and overcome barriers associated with other diagnostic methods. The project, led by Alberto García-Basteiro, will be developed in collaboration with the Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM) and the Sant Joan de Déu Foundation for Research.

Protecting respiratory health in Catalonia

The PRISMA-CAT project, led by Otavio Ranzani in coordination with the Institut d’Investigació en Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol (IDIAP Jordi Gol), will study how air pollution and temperature influence exacerbations of chronic respiratory diseases. The initiative will consider hospitalizations, mortality, and sick leave, aiming to generate scientific evidence to guide public health policies and clinical guidelines.

Advances in the treatment of chronic lung infections

The latest ISGlobal project funded by La Marató will investigate new microbiological advances to improve the treatment of chronic lung infections caused by Mycobacterium avium complex and Mycobacteriodes abscessus complex. These infections, common in people with prior respiratory diseases, are difficult to treat due to their high antibiotic resistance. The project is led by Julià González, a researcher at ISGlobal and the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.

International evaluation with 93 experts

In this latest call for research grants from La Marató de 3Cat, a total of 94 projects were submitted. The Agency of Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQUAS), part of the Catalan Department of Health, coordinated an international evaluation process in which 93 experts in respiratory diseases assessed the projects according to their quality and methodology, scientific, health, and social relevance, and their transformative and innovative potential.