The Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) and the CADASIL Spain Association (ACE) have strengthened their collaboration with a new contribution of 15,000 euros. This is aimed at advancing the research being carried out at the center on CADASIL, a hereditary disease that affects the small blood vessels in the brain and can cause recurrent strokes, severe migraines, cognitive impairments, and mood disorders.
This new donation, which adds to those made in previous years, highlights ACE’s commitment to biomedical research and to the work of the scientific teams striving to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this rare disease.
CADASIL (Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy) is a condition caused by mutations in the NOTCH3 gene, which alter the structure of the walls of cerebral blood vessels and impair blood flow. Despite advances in understanding its genetic basis and mechanisms of progression, no curative treatment currently exists, and clinical management is primarily focused on controlling symptoms and vascular risk factors.
The new financial contribution will help advance a drug repurposing project being developed by the Pharmacogenomics and Neurovascular Genetics Research Group at IR Sant Pau, led by Dr. Israel Fernández. The team focuses on identifying drugs already approved for other indications that may have a beneficial effect in CADASIL. This strategy helps reduce research time and costs, as it builds on compounds that have already demonstrated safety in humans. The ultimate goal is to discover new therapeutic pathways that could slow down or reverse the progression of the disease.
With this new contribution, ACE continues a collaboration that has been ongoing for years with IR Sant Pau. Over this time, the association has consistently supported the funding of various research lines related to the genetic, molecular, and clinical understanding of CADASIL. This has facilitated the acquisition of materials, the performance of specific analyses, and participation in national and international collaborative projects.
This continued involvement has made it possible to keep research on this rare disease active, where available resources are often limited, and has strengthened a relationship of trust and cooperation between ACE and the IR Sant Pau scientific team. Thanks to this support, researchers have been able to generate results that contribute to a more profound understanding of the disease mechanisms and to guide new therapeutic research directions.
IR Sant Pau deeply appreciates the trust and support of ACE, which are essential for advancing scientific knowledge and promoting new strategies for CADASIL, with the goal of improving the quality of life of affected individuals and their families.
