Stem cells and regenerative medicine. PI: Josep M. Canals Coll

• Our group uncovers waves of transcription activities (RA, Nolz1, Ikaros1, Helios) that control the differentiation of cells into specific neurons.
• Our group is also interested in the therapeutic possibilities offered by neuroprotection and investigates the potential of mesenchymal cells to be used in ex vivo gene therapy to protect the striatal neurons.
• Our group performs recapitulation of brain circuitry by seeding stem cells differentiated into various specific types of neurons onto a microchip that can make functional connections.
• Our group is involved in studies about the impact of cellular matrix (the niche) for the organization of neurons into functional network.
• Our group uses the discoveries generated from in vivo studies to establish valid and robust protocols to differentiate stem cells into specific neurons.
• Our group works to generate chimeric models combining the best that in vivo and in vitro can offer.

Participació en Projectes d’I+D finançats en Convocatòries públiques (nacionals i/o Internacionals)

• Title: Training for Advanced Stem Cell technologies in Neurology

Funding entity: Comisión de las Comunidades Europeas
Program: H2020-MSCA-ITN-2018
Project number: 813851
Amount: 3.479.403,24 €
Year: 2018-2022
Principal Investigator: Josep M Canals

• Title: Study of the role of neurodevelopment alterations in Hunington’s disease

Funding entity: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades.
Program: RETOS
Project number: RTI2018-099001-B-I00
Amount: 120.000,00 €: 181.500,00 €
Year: 2019-2021
Principal Investigator: Josep M. Canals

• Title: Lot 3 Immunogenicity testing for advanced therapy medicinal product and Lot 4 Autoimmune disease

Funding entity: Comisión de la Comunidad Europea.
Program: Reviews on Non-animal Methods in Use for Biomedical Research divided in 5 lots.
Project number: JRC/IPR/2018/F.3/0035/OC
Amount: 120.000,00 €
Year: 2019-2020
Principal Investigator: Marco Straccia

• Title: Cell therapy for knee osteoarthritis. Comparison of treatments with autologous and allogenic mesenchymal stromal cells in a multicenter controlled randomized clinical trial (ARTROCELL)

Funding entity: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad
Program: Proyectos de Investigación Clinica Independiente en Terapias Avanzadas de la Acción Estratégica en Salud.
Project number: PIC18/00001         
Amount: 767.962,80 €                        
Year: 2019-2021
Principal Investigator: Fermin Sànchez-Guijo

• Title: In vitro Study of Neurodevelopment in Huntington’s disease

Funding entity: CHDI Foundation Inc
Project number: A14079
Year: 2018-2021
Principal Investigator: Josep M Canals

• Title: Células madre y Medicina Regenerativa

Funding entity: Generalitat de Catalunya
Program: Grupos Consolidados
Project number: 2017 SGR 1408
Year: 2017-2019
Principal Investigator: Josep M. Canals 

• Title: Fisiopatologia i tractament de les malalties neurodegeneratives

Funding entity: Generalitat de Catalunya
Program: Grups Consolidats
Project number: 2014SGR968
Amount: 30.000,00 €
Year: 2014-2017
Principal Investigator: Jordi Alberch Vié

• Title: Modulación del déficit de la plasticidad sináptica como estrategia terapéutica en la enfermedad de Hunttington

Funding entity: Marató de TV3
Program: Enfermedades neurodegenerativas
Project number: 20140130/1
Amount: 299.375,00 €
Year: 2015-18
Principal investigator: Jordi Alberch Vié

• Title: Desarrollo, diferenciación y maduración neuronal en la enfermedad de Huntington.

Funding entity: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
Program: Plan Nacional de biomedicina
Project number: SAF2015-66505-R
Amount: 181.500,00 €
Year: 2016-2019
Principal investigator: Josep M Canal

• Title: Studying Human MSN Differentiation from PSC using Single-Cell RNAseq and Rodent Chimeric Models

Funding entity: CHDI Foundation Inc
Project number: A12076
Amount: 553.417,00 €
Year: 2016-2018
Principal investigator: Josep M Canals

• Title: Red de Terapia Celular (Cell therapy network; Barcelona node)

Funding entity: Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias. Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Program: RETICS
Amount: 284.999,00 €
Year: 2017-2022
Principal investigator: Josep M Canals

• Title: ADVANCECAT: Acceleradora pel desenvolupament de teràpies avançades a Catalunya

Funding entity: Agència per a la Competitivitat de l'Empresa (ACCIÓ); Generalitat de Catalunya
Program: RIS3CAT
Project number: COMRDI15-1-0013
Amount: 969.352,00 €
Year: 2016-2019
Principal investigator: Josep M Canals

• Title: European Training Network for Cell-based Regenerative Medicine

Funding entity: Comisión de las Comunidades Europeas
Program: H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016
Project number: 722779
Amount: 247.872,96€
Year: 2016-2020
Principal investigator: Josep M Canals i Jordi Alberch

Participació en contractes d’I+D+i d’especial rellevància amb empreses i/o administracions (nacionals i/o internacionals)

• Títol del contracte/projecte: Servicio de producción de partículas lentivirales de tercera generación por el Servicio de Inmunología del HCB

Type of contract: Research contract, FBG 310682
Financing company/administration: Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica Hospital Universitario La Paz
Participating entities: Universitat de Barcelona-Fundació Bosch i Gimpera
Period: from 2020 to 2020
Responsible researcher: Josep M. Canals
Number of participating researchers: 6

• Títol del contracte/projecte: Obtaining, processing an/or preserving non-human tissues, cells and related products

Type of contract: Research contract, FBG 310303
Financing company/administration: Institut Recerca Hospital Santa Creu i Sant Pau
Participating entities: Universitat de Barcelona-Fundació Bosch i Gimpera
Period: from 2019 to 2020
Responsible researcher: Josep M. Canals
Number of participating researchers: 6

• Títol del contracte/projecte: Servicio de desarrollo y validación de un MCB de la línea celular murina BA / F3 transfectadas con CD110

Type of contract: Research contract, FBG 310260
Financing company/administration: Consorci Hospital Clínic de Barcelona
Participating entities: Universitat de Barcelona-Fundació Bosch i Gimpera
Period: from 2019 to 2020
Responsible researcher: Josep M. Canals
Number of participating researchers: 5

• Títol del contracte/projecte: Servicios de fabricación de partículas lentivirales de tercera generación LV_ARI_BCMA(J22.9)

Type of contract: Contract for services, FBG 308408
Financing company/administration: Cytes Biotechnologies
Participating entities: Universitat de Barcelona-Fundació Bosch i Gimpera
Period: from 2015 to 2020
Responsible researcher: Josep M. Canals
Number of participating researchers: 4
Amount: According to service

• Títol del contracte/projecte: Servicios de fabricación de partículas lentivirales de tercera generación LV_ARI_BCMA(J22.9) CD8CD137CD3z (BCMAhARIHCB002h) producidas en la línea celular HEK293T/17

Type of contract: Research contract, FBG 310228
Financing company/administration: Laboratorio Reig Jofre, S.A.
Participating entities: Universitat de Barcelona-Fundació Bosch i Gimpera
Period: from 2019 to 2019
Responsible researcher: Josep M. Canals
Number of participating researchers: 5

• Títol del contracte/projecte: Scientific assessment on the putative Advance Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP), Furestem for the treatment of Atopic Dermatitis

Type of contract: Research contract, FBG 309851
Financing company/administration: Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica
Participating entities: Universitat de Barcelona-Fundació Bosch i Gimpera
Period: from 2018 to 2019
Responsible researcher: Josep M. Canals
Number of participating researchers: 5

• Títol del contracte/projecte: Servei de Sales Blanques per a la producció de vacuna de HIV en condicions GMP

Type of contract: Research contract, FBG 310042
Financing company/administration: Universidad de Navarra
Participating entities: Universitat de Barcelona-Fundació Bosch i Gimpera
Period: from 2018 to2019
Responsible researcher: Josep M. Canals
Number of participating researchers: 5

• Títol del contracte/projecte: Servicio relativo a la producción y suministro de un lentivirus recombinante codificado de un CAR (LV-CL30) por el Institut de Recerca de l'Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

Type of contract: Research contract, FBG 310099
Financing company/administration: Almirall, S.A.
Participating entities: Universitat de Barcelona-Fundació Bosch i Gimpera
Period: from 2018 to 2018
Responsible researcher: Josep M. Canals
Number of participating researchers: 5

• Títol del contracte/projecte: Desarrollo documental GMP bajo los estándares de calidad famacéuticos requeridos por esta normativa.

Type of contract: Public competition, FBG 308841
Financing company/administration: IDIBAPS
Participating entities: Universitat de Barcelona-Fundació Bosch i Gimpera
Period: from 2016 to 2018
Responsible researcher: Josep M. Canals and Raquel Martin Ibañez
Number of participating researchers: 4

For more information for PI publications click in the link::
ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6829-7670
ResearcherID: http://www.researcherid.com/rid/M-3846-2014
Scopus Author ID: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=35585802400

Fernández-Flores F, García-Verdugo JM, Martín-Ibáñez R, Herranz C, Fondevila D, Canals JM, Arús C, Pumarola M. Characterization of the canine rostral ventricular-subventricular zone: Morphological, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and neurosphere assay studies. J Comp Neurol. 2018 Mar 1;526(4): 721-741

García-Díaz Barriga G, Giralt A, Anglada-Huguet M, Gaja-Capdevila N, Orlandi JG, Soriano J, Canals JM, Alberch J; 7,8-dihydroxyflavone ameliorates cognitive and motor deficits in a Huntington's disease mouse model through specific activation of the PLCγ1 pathway; Hum Mol Genet. 2017 Aug 15;26(16):3144-3160

Romero-Moya D, Santos-Ocaña C, Castaño J, Garrabou G, Rodríguez-Gómez J, Ruiz-Bonilla V, Bueno C, González-Rodríguez P, Giorgetti A, Perdiguero E, Prieto C, Moren-Nuñez C, Fernández-Ayala DJ, Victoria Cascajo M, Velasco I, Canals JM, Montero R, Yubero D, Jou C, López-Barneo J, Cardellach F, Muñoz-Cánoves P, Artuch R, Navas P, Menendez P; Genetic Rescue of Mitochondrial and Skeletal Muscle Impairment in an Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Model of Coenzyme Q10 Deficiency; Stem Cells. 2017 Jul; 35(7):1687-1703HD iPSC Consortium; Developmental alterations in Huntington's disease neural cells and pharmacological rescue in cells and mice; Nat Neurosci. 2017 May; 20(5):648-660

Pulido-Salgado M, Vidal-Taboada JM, Garcia Diaz-Barriga G, Serratosa J, Valente T, Castillo P, Matalonga J, Straccia M, Canals JM, Valledor A, Solà C, Saura J; Myeloid C/EBPβ deficiency reshapes microglial gene expression and is protective in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis; J Neuroinflammation. 2017 Mar 16;14(1):54

Martín-Ibáñez R, Pardo M, Giralt A, Miguez A, Guardia I, Marion-Poll L, Herranz C, Esgleas M, Garcia-Díaz Barriga G, Edel MJ, Vicario-Abejón C, Alberch J, Girault JA, Chan S, Kastner P, Canals JM; Helios expression coordinates the development of a subset of striatopallidal medium spiny neurons; Development. 2017 Apr 15;144(8):1566-1577

Martín-Ibáñez R, Guardia I, Pardo M, Herranz C, Zietlow R, Vinh NN, Rosser A, Canals JM; Insights in spatio-temporal characterization of human fetal neural stem cells; Exp Neurol. 2017 May;291:20-35

Straccia M, Carrere J, Rosser AE, Canals JM; Human t-DARPP is induced during striatal development; Neuroscience. 2016 Oct 1; 333:320-30

Ciezka M, Acosta M, Herranz C, Canals JM, Pumarola M, Candiota AP, Arús C; Development of a transplantable glioma tumour model from genetically engineered mice: MRI/MRS/MRSI characterisation; J Neurooncol. 2016 Aug; 129(1):67-76

Herranz C, Fernández F, Martín-Ibáñez R, Blasco E, Crespo E, De la Fuente C, Añor S, Rabanal RM, Canals JM, Pumarola M; Spontaneously Arising Canine Glioma as a Potential Model for Human Glioma; J Comp Pathol. 2016 Feb-Apr;154(2-3):169-79.

Telezhkin V, Schnell C, Yarova P, Yung S, Cope E, Hughes A, Thompson BA, Sanders P, Geater C, Hancock JM, Joy S, Badder L, Connor-Robson N, Comella A, Straccia M, Bombau G, Brown JT, Canals JM, Randall AD, Allen ND, Kemp PJ; Forced cell cycle exit and modulation of GABAA, CREB, and GSK3β signaling promote functional maturation of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons; Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2016 Apr 1;310(7):C520-41

Fernández-Santiago R, Carballo-Carbajal I, Castellano G, Torrent R, Richaud Y, Sánchez-Danés A, Vilarrasa-Blasi R, Sánchez-Pla A, Mosquera JL, Soriano J, López-Barneo J, Canals JM, Alberch J, Raya Á, Vila M, Consiglio A, Martín-Subero JI, Ezquerra M, Tolosa E; Aberrant epigenome in iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons from Parkinson’s disease patients; EMBO Mol Med. 2015 Oct 29;7(12):1529-46

Straccia M, Garcia-Diaz Barriga G, Sanders P, Bombau G, Carrere J, Mairal PB, Vinh NN, Yung S, Kelly CM, Svendsen CN, Kemp PJ, Arjomand J, Schoenfeld RC, Alberch J, Allen ND, Rosser AE, Canals JM; Quantitative high-throughput gene expression profiling of human striatal development to screen stem cell-derived medium spiny neurons; Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev. 2015 Sep 16;2:15030

Miguez A, García-Díaz Barriga G, Brito V, Straccia M, Giralt A, Ginés S, Canals JM, Alberch J; Fingolimod (FTY720) enhances hippocampal synaptic plasticity and memory in Huntington’s disease by preventing p75NTR up-regulation and astrocyte-mediated inflammation; Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Sep 1;24(17):4958-70

Martín-Flores N, Romaní-Aumedes J, Rué L, Canal M, Sanders P, Straccia M, Allen ND, Alberch J, Canals JM, Pérez-Navarro E, Malagelada C; RTP801 Is Involved in Mutant Huntingtin-Induced Cell Death; Mol Neurobiol. 2015 Apr 16

Castaño J, Menendez P, Bruzos-Cidon C, Straccia M, Sousa A, Zabaleta L, Vazquez N, Zubiarrain A, Sonntag K-C, Ugedo L, Carvajal-Vergara X, Canals JM, Torrecilla M, Sanchez-Pernaute R, Giorgetti A; Fast and efficient neural conversion of human hematopoietic cells; Stem Cell Reports. 2014 Dec 9;3(6):1118-31

Damiano M, Diguet E, Malgorn C, D'Aurelio M, Galvan L, Petit F, Benhaim L, Guillermier M, Houitte D, Dufour N, Hantraye P, Canals JM, Alberch J, Delzescaux T, Déglon N, Beal MF, Brouillet E; A role of mitochondrial complex II defects in genetic models of Huntington's disease expressing N-terminal fragments of mutant huntingtin; Hum Mol Genet. 2013 Oct 1;22(19):3869-82

Torres-Peraza JF, Engel T, Martín-Ibáñez R, Sanz-Rodríguez A, Fernández-Fernández MR, Esgleas M, Canals JM, Henshall DC, Lucas JJ; Protective neuronal induction of ATF5 in endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by status epilepticus; Brain. 2013 Apr;136(Pt 4):1161-76

Carretón O, Giralt A, Torres-Peraza JF, Brito V, Lucas JJ, Ginés S, Canals JM, Alberch J; Age-dependent decline of motor neocortex but not hippocampal performance in heterozygous BDNF mice correlates with a decrease of cortical PSD-95 but an increase of hippocampal TrkB levels; Exp Neurol. 2012 Oct;237(2):335-45

Martín-Ibáñez R, Crespo E, Esgleas M, Urban N, Wang B, Waclaw R, Georgopoulos K, Martinez S, Campbell K, Vicario-Abejón C, Alberch J, Chan S, Kastner P, Rubenstein JL i Canals JM; Helios transcription factor expression depends on Gsx2 and Dlx1&2 function in developing striatal matrix neurons; Stem Cells Dev. 2012 Aug 10;21(12):2239-51

Sánchez-Danés A, Richaud-Patin Y, Carballo-Carbajal I, Jiménez-Delgado S, Caig C, Mora S, Di Guglielmo C, Ezquerra M, Patel B, Giralt A, Canals JM, Memo M, Alberch J, López-Barneo J, Vila M, Cuervo AM. Tolosa E, Consiglio A i Raya A; Disease-specific phenotypes in dopamine neurons from human iPS-based models of genetic and sporadic Parkinson’s disease; EMBO Mol Med. 2012 May;4(5):380-95

Rocha RA, Gimeno-Alcaniz JV, Martín-Ibañez R, Canals JM, Vélez D, i Devesa V; Arsenic and fluoride induce neural progenitor cell apoptosis; Toxicol Lett. 2011 Jun 24;203(3):237-44

Urban N., Martin-Ibanez R., Herranz C., Esgleas M., Crespo E., Pardo M., Crespo-Enriquez I., Mendez-Gomez H.R., Waclaw R., Chatzi C., Alvarez S., Alvarez R., Duester G., Campbell K., de Lera A.R., Vicario-Abejon C., Martinez S., Alberch J. i Canals J.M. Nolz1 promotes striatal neurogenesis through the regulation of retinoic acid signaling. 2010 Aug 24; 5:21.

Del Toro D., Xifró X., Pol A., Humbert S., Saudou F., Canals J.M. i Alberch J. Altered cholesterol homeostasis contributes to enhanced excitotoxicity in Huntington's Disease. 2010 Oct;115(1):153-67

Giralt A., Friedman H.C., Caneda-Ferrón B., Urbán N., Moreno E., Rubio N., Blanco J., Peterson A., Canals J.M. i Alberch J. BDNF regulation under GFAP promoter provides engineered astrocytes as a new approach for long term protection in Huntington Disease. 2010 Oct;17(10):1294-308.

Gallego X, Murtra P, Zamalloa T, Canals JM, Pineda J, Amador-Arjona A, Maldonado R i Dierssen M. Increased opioid dependence in a mouse model of panic disorder. 2010 Feb 22;3:60

Martín-Ibáñez R., Crespo E., Urbán N., Sergent-Tanguy S., Herranz C., Jaumot M., Valiente M., Long J.E., Pineda J.R., Andreu C., Rubenstein J.L.R., Marín O., Georgopoulos K., Mengod G., Fariñas I., Bachs O., Alberch J. i Canals J.M. Ikaros-1 couples cell cycle arrest of late striatal precursors with neurogenesis of enkephalinergic neurons. 2010 Feb 1;518(3):329-51

Saavedra A, Garcia-Martinez J.M., Xifro X., Giralt A., Torres-Peraza J.F., Canals J.M., Diaz-Hernandez M., Lucas J.J., Alberch J. i Perez-Navarro E. PH domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase 1 contributes to maintain the activation of the PI3K/Akt pro-survival pathway in Huntington’s disease striatum. 2010 Feb;17(2):324-35

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