Research lines

Research programme

The problem

Advanced cirrhosis has no curative therapy, and genomic data outpace our ability to interpret it.

Advanced liver cirrhosis still has no curative therapy able to halt or reverse late fibrotic stages. In parallel, the genomic revolution has created a bottleneck in interpreting variants of uncertain significance, prolonging the diagnostic odyssey of patients with rare and neurodevelopmental disorders, while classical biochemical newborn screening has plateaued and misses treatable inherited metabolic diseases.

Our approach

High-complexity diagnostics joined with innovative therapy along three synergistic axes.

HEMERA-Lab connects high-complexity laboratory diagnostics with innovative therapeutic research along three synergistic axes: liver-targeted nanomedicine and regenerative medicine (in vivo cell engineering, macrophage reprogramming, multicatalytic nanozymes); precision medicine for rare diseases using multi-omics and artificial intelligence to discover non-invasive biomarkers and functionally validate genetic variants; and next-generation newborn screening integrating untargeted metabolomics with genomic sequencing.

Expected impact

From symptomatic management to predictive, preventive and regenerative laboratory medicine.

The strategy shifts laboratory medicine from symptomatic management towards predictive, preventive and regenerative care: stimulating functional liver regeneration to reduce dependence on transplantation, and implementing genomic newborn screening and second-tier testing that cut false positives, shorten time to diagnosis and extend screening to more than 300 rare diseases — with proprietary nanotherapies and diagnostic algorithms ready for industrial transfer.

Nanomedicine, cell therapy and tissue engineering in liver diseases

Directed by Pedro Melgar-Lesmes

Molecular targets in each hepatic cellular compartment are used to design precision therapies with nanoparticles delivering nucleic acids or drugs to specific cell types in inflammation, fibrosis, regeneration and cancer, together with 3D scaffolds, hydrogels and 3D-printed liver organoids to study therapeutic responses.

Multi-omics in newborn screening, diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases

Directed by Judit García-Villoria

Translational research in rare diseases, particularly inherited metabolic disorders, combining genomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics and proteomics with clinical, analytical, bioinformatic and experimental data to improve diagnostic efficiency and deliver more equitable, sustainable precision medicine.

Translational application of nanozymes in liver and metabolic diseases

Directed by Gregori Casals

Cerium- and gold-based nanozymes are engineered as catalytic platforms with antioxidant activity to correct redox imbalance, lipid dysregulation and inflammation in steatotic liver disease, and evaluated for safety and efficacy in preclinical models.

Non-invasive biomarkers and antifibrotic strategies

Directed by Manuel Morales-Ruiz

Research and clinical validation of non-invasive serological markers of liver injury and its complications, together with new molecular targets and therapeutic strategies that bridge early non-invasive diagnosis and the resolution of chronic liver disease.

Liver regeneration and normalisation of the intrahepatic vasculature

Directed by Manuel Morales-Ruiz

Therapies that restore regeneration and normalise the intrahepatic vasculature in cirrhosis by targeting key drivers such as Tcf20, Akt, eNOS, miR-122 and RNA helicases, enhancing endothelial connectivity and inhibiting pathological angiogenesis.

Translational research in rare genetic disorders

Directed by Laia Rodríguez Revenga

Study of rare hereditary and neurodevelopmental conditions, including intellectual disability and FMR1-related pathologies, integrating translational genomics with implementation in the public healthcare system.

Clinical laboratory innovation and precision diagnostics

Directed by Manuel Morales-Ruiz

Development and clinical translation of advanced diagnostic tools in biochemistry, toxicology and molecular biology, with new biomarkers and optimised laboratory screening to support clinical decision-making and patient safety.