The research group led by Ana Martínez, awarded with the second prize of the Scientific Health Research Award granted by the hna Foundation

Dr. Ana Martínez, head of the Translational Medicinal and Biological Chemistry group from the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, has been awarded with the second prize of the Scientific Health Research Award granted by the hna Foundation. This prize, which was celebrating its first edition, was offered to research projects in basic science, translational or clinical research to increase knowledge or develop treatments for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The project "Advancing TDP-43 modulators in personalized ALS cell models" presented by Dr. Ana Martínez, was highlighted by the jury for the interest of the research model and its implications in the discovery of possible treatments for ALS disease, being decided to propose a second prize of € 50,000 for it, which the Fundación hna accepted and approved. The main prize in this call, with an amount of 100,000 euros, was awarded to Doctor Oriol Dols, from the Institute for Biomedical Research of the Hospital de Santa Cruz y San Pablo.

The main goal of the project, which is co-directed by Dr. Valle Palomo, is the clinical development of an inhibitor of CK1, and other of CDC-7, designed and prepared at their laboratory at the CIB Margarita Salas, determining its potential selective efficiency towards different types of ALS patients and analyzing its possible synergy with the palliative drug riluzol. They will use cellular-based models in genetically characterized patients, specifically lines of immortalized lymphoblasts.

The award was presented at a ceremony held by the Fundación hna on May 31 at the Hotel Orfila, in a small act in the presence of a small group of members of the hna Foundation, as well as the awarded.

The group of Translational Medicinal and Biological Chemistry headed by Ana Martínez and Carmen Gil has extensive experience in the design and development of drugs using different strategies. Their research focuses on finding a cure for neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS or Parkinson's and also some infectious diseases.