2024/10/11

UPV/EHU and CIC bioGUNE join forces at Bizkaia Aretoa for Basque research groups to explore extracellular vesicles in diagnostics and therapies

These vesicles, secreted to the outside of cells, are considered important mediators of biological processes and disease biomarkers.

The symposium, organized by researchers from the Faculty of Medicine and Nursing at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) in collaboration with CICbioGUNE-BRTA, brought together working groups from UPV/EHU, CICbioGUNE-BRTA, IIS Biobizkaia, IIS Biogipuzkoa, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Gaiker-BRTA, CICbiomaGUNE-BRTA, and Histocell, SL.

Over forty researchers from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and various research centers or biotech companies participated in the second meeting of groups committed to studying extracellular vesicles and their medical applications. The symposium, held on October 7th at the Bizkaia Aretoa and organized by Drs. Aintzane Apraiz, Aintzane Asumendi, and Mª Dolores Boyano from UPV/EHU, in collaboration with Dr. Juan Manuel Falcón, Ikerbasque Research Professor from CIC bioGUNE – member of BRTA -, an expert in the field, showcased the latest advancements in the characterization of extracellular vesicles as well as ongoing work in their clinical application as biomarkers or complementary/alternative therapies to cell-based treatments.

Extracellular vesicles include a wide range of vesicles secreted by nearly all cells in the body. The specificity of the molecules incorporated or associated with them, along with advances in understanding their role in intercellular communication, supports their involvement in both physiological and pathological processes. Furthermore, the field is expanding to include studies in liquid biopsy and therapies, where they may serve as substitutes or complements to cell-based therapies (which are sometimes limited by immune rejection) or as alternative delivery mechanisms for therapeutic molecules to specific tissues.

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, 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 290 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 3,500 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.

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