The CaixaResearch Institute in Barcelona is set to significantly advance immunology research, with scientists calling the immune system the "common language" of diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, long Covid, Alzheimer's, and infectious pathologies. Oncologist Josep Tabernero, president of the institute's scientific committee, described its study as "key" for future medicine.
Mireia Castanys, director of the Research Centres Department at La Caixa Foundation and deputy director of the CaixaResearch Institute, echoed this view. Tabernero defined the immune system as "that silent guardian that patrols the body to eliminate elements that are not working correctly" and which "maintains balance."
According to researcher Gabriel Rabinovich, a leading figure at the new centre, the immune system is essential for fighting external agents like viruses, bacteria, or parasites. It also protects the body from malignant cells that can develop into cancer. Rabinovich noted that not everyone responds identically to the same vaccine or infection. This variability, made globally visible by the pandemic, is a major area where immunological research offers revealing answers, and it will be a focus at the CaixaResearch Institute.
Unlocking Disease Mysteries
Immunology also helps decipher previously unknown phenomena, such as long Covid or the tolerance developed by populations continuously exposed to pathogens like the malaria parasite. As climate change, population movements, and environmental shifts aid the spread of emerging viruses, immunological knowledge becomes a critical tool to anticipate and contain these threats.
For infections, the immune system's challenge is to recognise and neutralise an "external threat," Rabinovich explained. In cancer, however, the challenge is to identify an "internal threat." In tumour processes, the immune system must detect when the body's own cells stop functioning correctly. Normally, the immune system identifies and destroys these abnormal cells. But when these cells learn to evade immune cells, they can proliferate and form tumours. Understanding the dynamics between tumours and the immune system has become a top priority in current oncology research.
The Potential of Immunotherapy
Researchers have also found that the immune response is built within a context where many signals determine if the system will act effectively or become blocked. This means the approach is no longer just about attacking the tumour. It also involves intervening with the system that must recognise it, learning to modulate the body's defences, restoring their ability to identify the threat, adjusting their intensity, and directing their action precisely. Advances in cancer immunotherapy have shown the huge potential of this approach.
However, Rabinovich pointed out that "in many tumours, only 25% of patients can benefit." In others, such as pancreatic or ovarian cancer, no patients can currently opt for this treatment. The institute's work aims to expand these benefits. Moving forward, the CaixaResearch Institute will continue to explore these complex interactions, hoping to develop new therapies and prevention strategies for a range of diseases.
