We showed that a kappa free light chain index performs very similarly to oligoclonal bands in the criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis. We demonstrated that presenting progression independent of relapse activity is not uncommon and implies an unfavorable long-term prognosis, especially if it occurs early in the disease. We pointed out that treatment initiation at early stages of the disease is associated with a reduced risk of long-term disability. We studied different treatment response scores and their prediction of disability, and we are working on new scores that include biomarkers such as NfL, GFAP and CHI3L1. We confirmed the existence of spinal cord reserve, a counterpart of brain reserve, in a large international cohort of MS patients, and confirmed the reproducibility of the measurement method. We are working on new ways of robotic based rehabilitation. Rare diseases are also a challenge to our team, and a deep research focused on neuromyelitis optica is developed.

Group Leader
Xavier Montalban Gairín

Principal Investigator (PI)
Georgina Arrambide García, Álvaro Cobo Calvo, Manuel Comabella López, Carmen Espejo Ruiz, Nicolás Miguel Fissolo, Sunny Malhotra, Xavier Montalban Gairín, Jaume Sastre-Garriga, Mar Tintoré Subirana, Carmen Tur Gomez, Àngela Vidal Jordana

Researchers
Elisenda Anglada Clofent, María Jesús Arévalo Navinés, Nathane Braga Da Silva, Joaquín Castilló Justribó, Herena Eixarch Ahufinger, Victoria Carla Fernández, Ingrid Galán Cartañá, Claudia Guío Sánchez, Lorena López Reyes, Clara Matute Blanch, Rebeca Menéndez Díaz, Andrés Miguez González, Carlos Nos Llopis, Jordi Río Izquierdo, Xavier Sibera Aresté, Ana Zabalza De Torres

PhD Students
Llucia Coll Benajam, María Dema Etxezarreta, Delon La Puma, Edwin Roger Meza Murillo, Luciana Midaglia Fernández, Neus Mongay Ochoa, Rucsanda Pinteac, Miguel Ángel Robles Sánchez, Breogán Rodríguez Acevedo, Carmen Santoyo Medina, Andreu Vilaseca Jolonch, Javier Villacieros Àlvarez

Lab Technicians
Aroa Pérez García, Mireia Castillo Juárez, Lucía Gutiérrez Ruiz, Ana Harris Martínez

Nursing and Technical Staff
Irene Alarcón Giménez, Montserrat Aroca Alsina, Patricia Arrieta Perna, Sara Batlle Sitges, Jordina Beltrán Vallés, Eli Borràs Riba, Sergio Cabello Martínez, Gabriel L. Camiña Rodríguez, Margarida Capell Maymó, Pere Josep Carbonell Miravet, Javier Domeño Baztán, Dolors Fàbregas Xauradó, Silvia Ferrer López, Núria Filló Papiol, Milagros Fraga Pereira, Rafael García Mérida, Montserrat García Serqueda, Josep Graells Salvador, Ana Isabel Guerrero Pérez, María Gloria Henríquez Gaztañondo, Montserrat Janer Cabo, Loyola Lamiel Moreno, Gaizka Sanmillán, Helena Llorente Blasco, José David Márquez Parra, Nuria Martínez Royuela, Núria Martínez Sabaté, Tamar Mejías Guillén, Elisabeth Morilla Castillo, Dúnia Muñoz Valdivielso, Margarita Navarro Pérez, Oriol Nualart Mundó, Ana María Pérez Rubio, Lidia Ramos Hernández, Mireia Resina Sallés, Marta Rodríguez Barranco, Montserrat Romero Reinaldos, Julià Enric Rubio Roca, Anna Rumeu Nin, Samuel Sánchez Pous, Agusto César Sao Avilés, Karen Amanda Segura Davila, Andrea Serrano Mascarós, Sílvia Soler García, Ricard Soriano Baliarda, Cristina Ustrell Garrido, Sergio Vergara Ruíz, Cristina Vetoret Vázquez

73

PUBLICATIONS

63.0%

%Q1

621

IMPACT FACTOR

8.51

AVERAGE IMPACT FACTOR

SELECTED ARTICLES

Arrambide G, Espejo C, Carbonell-Mirabent P, Dieli-Crimi R, Rodríguez-Barranco M, Castillo M, Auger C, Cárdenas-Robledo S, Castilló J, Cobo-Calvo Á, Galán I, Midaglia L, Nos C, Otero-Romero S, Río J, Rodríguez-Acevedo B, Ruiz-Ortiz M, Salerno A, Tagliani P, Tur C, Vidal-Jordana A, Zabalza A, Sastre-Garriga J, Rovira A, Comabella M, Hernández-González M, Montalban X, Tintore M
The kappa free light chain index and oligoclonal bands have a similar role in the McDonald criteria
Brain. 2022 Nov 21;145(11):3931-3942
DOI: doi: 10.1093/brain/awac220
IF: 15.255

Río J, Rovira À, Gasperini C, Tintoré M, Prosperini L, Otero-Romero S, Comabella M, Vidal-Jordana Á, Galán I, Midaglia L, Rodriguez-Acevedo B, Zabalza A, Castilló J, Arrambide G, Nos C, Cobo Á, Tur C, Auger C, Sastre-Garriga J, Montalban X
Treatment response scoring systems to assess long-term prognosis in self-injectable DMTs relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients
J Neurol. 2022 Jan;269(1):452-459
DOI: doi: 10.1007/s00415-021-10823-z
IF: 6.682

Cobo-Calvo A, Zabalza A, Río J, Arrambide G, Otero-Romero S, Tagliani P, Cárdenas-Robledo S, Castillo M, Espejo C, Rodriguez M, Carbonell P, Rodríguez B, Midaglia L, Vidal-Jordana Á, Tur C, Galan I, Castillo J, Comabella M, Nos C, Auger C, Tintoré M, Rovira À, Montalban X, Sastre-Garriga J
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on frequency of clinical visits, performance of MRI studies, and therapeutic choices in a multiple sclerosis referral centre
J Neurol. 2022 Apr;269(4):1764-1772
DOI: doi: 10.1007/s00415-021-10958-z
IF: 6.682

Otero-Romero S, Carbonell-Mirabent P, Midaglia L, Zuluaga M, Galán I, Cobo-Calvo A, Rio J, Arrambide G, Vidal-Jordana A, Castillo J, Rodríguez-Acevedo B, Comabella M, Rodríguez M, Tur C, Auger C, Rovira A, Sastre-Garriga J, Montalban X, Tintoré M
Oral contraceptives do not modify the risk of a second attack and disability accrual in a prospective cohort of women with a clinically isolated syndrome and early multiple sclerosis
Mult Scler. 2022 May;28(6):950-957
DOI: doi: 10.1177/13524585211053001
IF: 5.855

Comabella M, Clarke MA, Schaedelin S, Tintoré M, Pareto D, Fissolo N, Pinteac R, Granziera C, Sastre-Garriga J, Benkert P, Auger C, Kuhle J, Montalban X, Rovira A
CSF chitinase 3-like 1 is associated with iron rims in patients with a first demyelinating event
Mult Scler. 2022 Jan;28(1):71-81
DOI: doi: 10.1177/13524585211010082
IF: 5.855

Project title: Neurofilament light chain levels in serum as a prognostic marker of disease evolution and treatment response in multiple sclerosis
Principal Investigator: Georgina Arrambide
Agency: Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS). Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain
Funding: 110,715 €
Period: 01/01/2020 – 31/12/2022

Study of comorbidity and vaccine immunogenicity in a prospective cohort of patients with first symptoms suggestive of Multiple Sclerosis
Principal Investigator: Susana Otero / Mar Tintoré
Agency: Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS). Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain
Funding: 105,270 €
Period: 01/01/2020 – 31/12/2022

Geomorphometric analysis of brain and cord damage in multiple sclerosis to predict disease progression (the GeoMS study)
Principal Investigator: Carmen Tur
Agency: La Caixa Foundation
Funding: 300,000 €
Period: 28/09/2020 – 27/09/2023

Rejuvenation of the immune system as a therapeutic approach for aged and progressive multiple sclerosis
Principal Investigator: Carmen Espejo
Agency: Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS). Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain
Funding: 159,720 €
Period: 01/01/2022 – 31/12/2024

Search of prognostic factors of conversion to multiple sclerosis in patients with radiologically isolated syndrome
Principal Investigator: Manuel Comabella
Agency: National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Funding: 304,000 €
Period: 2022 - 2024

Tolerogenic composition
Priority Number: EP22383126
Priority Date: 23/11/2022
Applicants: 75% Ahead Therapeutics SL / 15% Institut de Recerca Germans Trias i Pujol / 5% Vall Hebron Institut de Recerca / 5% Universidad de Lleida

eCOREs