European project funded with IRBLleida's participation to study premature vascular ageing in chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes

The European Commission is funding a European project with 6 partners, including the Vascular and Renal Translational Research Group of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Lleida (IRBLleida), to study premature vascular ageing in chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes. The project is funded with more than 1.5 million euros in the framework of the EP PerMed call. Specifically, the Vascular and Renal Translational Research Group at IRBLleida, led by José Manuel Valdivielso, will receive €219,625.00.

The aim of the project is to study how to incorporate the protein calprotectin into clinical practice as a tool for personalised treatments to reduce cardiovascular risks and improve patients' quality of life. This protein can act as a biomarker of damage and as a therapeutic target to delay vascular ageing.

'This innovative initiative could revolutionise the way these conditions are managed, bringing benefits for both health and society in general,' explained University of Lleida professor and researcher José Manuel Valdivielso.

'Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) represent two of the greatest health, social and economic challenges of the 21st century. People suffering from these conditions have premature vascular ageing and a very high risk of cardiovascular disease. This translates into problems such as stiffer arteries, vascular calcification and advanced atherosclerosis,' added Valdivielso.

The project coordinator is the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires de Toulouse (France), and in addition to IRBLleida, centres in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Israel are also participating. The project has a duration of three years (2025-2027).

EP PerMed Grant is an ERA-Net Cofund initiative, supported by 32 partners from 23 countries and co-funded by the European Commission. The main objective is to align national research strategies, promote excellence, strengthen the competitiveness of European actors in personalised medicine and enhance European collaboration with non-EU countries.