2025/03/17

General Deputy of Bizkaia, Elixabete Etxanobe, visits CIC bioGUNE to learn about its scientific advances and innovative projects

The General Deputy of Bizkaia, Elixabete Etxanobe, accompanied by the Regional Deputy for Economic Promotion, Ainara Basurko, visited CIC bioGUNE research center, member of BRTA, on Monday, March 17th, for a day dedicated to firsthand learning about the scientific advances and innovative initiatives taking place at the center.

The day began with a meeting with CIC bioGUNE’s management team, where the research being carried out at the center and the new lines of collaboration and technology transfer were presented. During the meeting, a new business initiative focused on applying artificial intelligence (AI) in the health sector was introduced. Led by Gonzalo Jiménez-Osés, Ikerbasque research professor and principal investigator of the Computational Chemistry Laboratory, and Dr. Reyes Núñez, the project aims to design proteins using AI and advanced computational techniques to develop therapeutic solutions that improve personalized medicine.

The visit continued with a tour of CIC bioGUNE’s facilities, particularly the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) platform, one of the center's most advanced scientific facilities and certified as a Unique Scientific and Technical Facility (ICTS) by the state. NMR is an advanced and versatile technique that allows detailed and precise study of molecular properties and has applications in various areas such as chemistry, material science, biotechnology, and biomedicine. CIC bioGUNE's NMR platform is primarily used in drug research and the identification of biomarkers associated with different pathologies.

During the visit, principal investigators Óscar Millet, researcher at CIBER network and head of the Precision Medicine and Metabolism group, and June Ereño-Orbea, Ikerbasque associate researcher and principal investigator of the Cancer Glycoimmunology group, provided a detailed explanation of how the platform operates, highlighting its importance in leading-edge research in personalized medicine. This type of research is crucial for designing more effective and personalized treatments for patients, made possible by NMR's ability to study molecular structures and their interactions at the atomic level.

A key aspect of CIC bioGUNE's infrastructure is the recent acquisition of a 1 GHz spectrometer, a cutting-edge piece of equipment that positions the center at the forefront of NMR research in Europe. This technology, combined with the existing equipment at the center, is essential for advancing the design of new therapies and the identification of biomarkers associated with various diseases.

Among the prominent projects using this technology is the PreMetaCan project, a new initiative funded by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), aimed at understanding how metabolism influences cancer development and treatment resistance. Using NMR, this project seeks to identify biomarkers and better understand the metabolic mechanisms involved in cancer progression, which will help optimize personalized therapies and improve treatment management in patients.

In the field of rare diseases, NMR plays a key role in the development of innovative therapies. A clear example of this is Atlas Molecular Pharma, a spin-off from CIC bioGUNE, which is working on pharmacological chaperones, currently in phase 2 clinical trials in the United States, to treat congenital erythropoietic porphyria. NMR is crucial in this process, as it allows for the study of the UROIIIS protein, optimizing its function and therapeutic efficacy through molecular interaction and protein structure studies.

Additionally, NMR is not only crucial for treating diseases but also for prevention and early detection. One example of this is the AKRIBEA project, focused on the early detection of diseases in both newborns and adults, and the BioSilver project, which investigates aging and associated pathologies. In both projects, NMR plays a vital role by providing detailed information on underlying molecular characteristics, improving diagnostic accuracy, and enabling the design of more effective personalized therapies and prevention strategies.

On an international level, NMR advancements are driving key European projects. One example is the ERC Proof of Concept Grant, recently awarded to June Ereño-Orbea and Jesús Jiménez-Barbero, to develop bispecific antibodies for cancer treatment, using NMR to study molecular interactions between antibodies and cancer cells. Furthermore, NMR is essential in projects like CoDiet, which explores the relationship between diet and common diseases, and CARAMEL, aimed at the personalized prevention of cardiovascular diseases in women. Both projects benefit from NMR’s ability to enhance the accuracy of predictive models and personalized interventions.

Thus, CIC bioGUNE’s NMR platform stands as a fundamental tool in both national and international public and private projects, establishing itself as a benchmark in biomedical research and the development of innovative solutions to improve public health and well-being.

This visit strengthens the commitment of public institutions to scientific research and the development of cutting-edge technologies in the fields of health and biomedicine, highlighting the importance of CIC bioGUNE as a driver of innovation and international collaboration.

About CIC bioGUNE
The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), located in the Bizkaia Technology Park, is a biomedical research organisation conducting cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, chemical, molecular and cell biology, with a particular focus on generating knowledge on the molecular bases of disease, for use in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.

About Ikerbasque
Ikerbasque - Basque Foundation for Science - is the result of an initiative of the Department of Education of the Basque Government that aims to reinforce the commitment to scientific research by attracting, recovering and consolidating excellent researchers from all over the world. Currently, it is a consolidated organization that has over 350 researchers/s, who develop their work in all fields of knowledge.

About BRTA
BRTA is an alliance of 4 collaborative research centres (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE y CIC energiGUNE) and 13 technology centres (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Leartiker, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker y Vicomtech) with the main objective of developing advanced technological solutions for the Basque corporate fabric.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group and the Provincial Councils of the three territories, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration between the research centres, strengthen the conditions to generate and transfer knowledge to companies, contributing to their competitiveness and outspreading the Basque scientific-technological capacity abroad.

BRTA has a workforce of over 4,000 professionals, executes 22% of the Basque Country's R&D investment, registers an annual turnover of more than 300 million euros and generates 100 European and international patents per year.

Spanish version