The final goal of our team, established since 2015 as an emergent research group at the IMIBIC, is to find those evidences that help to make decisions in the clinical setting to improve the diagnosis and the treatment of the patients with immune-mediated chronic inflammatory skin diseases of high prevalence or of special severity, such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, chronic urticaria, vitiligo, suppurative hidrosadenitis, and various chronic alopecias such as alopecia areata or frontal fibrosing alopecia.
Our group consists of 17 researchers: 10 Clinicians (5 Dermatologists, 3 Hospital Pharmacists, and 2 Nurses) and 7 non-clinicians (1 Study Coordinator, 3 BSc in Biology PhD candidates, 3 Medical Students).
Our group also promotes the participation of students of undergraduate, postgraduate, and physician specialists in training by means of collaboration with the degrees and postgraduate programs of Medicine, Chemical sciences, and Biotechnology (medical Education, MSc programs, PhD programs).
All research activities of the group are guided by our commitment to:
- Encourage participation of citizens in observational studies and clinical trials promoted and participated by our group.
- Promote actions that attract the R + D + I industry by offering collaborations in the form of service delivery models or co-development agreements of innovative ideas from results obtained by our group or from needs or problems found in relation to some research product of the industry itself.
- Stimulate transversal collaboration with other research groups dedicated to areas such as applied physics, nanotechnology, and evidence synthesis or with other high level Spanish or foreign centers (Cochrane collaboration, Rockefeller University, Mount Sinai Hospital).
- Communicate to other researchers and citizens the results obtained, through participation in scientific meetings, publications in journals and meetings with associations of patients and young people in training, who visit us regularly.
- Collaborate with the other groups of the IMIBIC in generating talent in future generations of researchers, especially in those with clinical profile, through collaboration with the Degree and Postgraduate programs of the University of Cordoba and the University of Granada.
Research Lines
We use different technological platforms to analyze biological samples from patients and controls to explore the cellular and tissue functioning using multiscale approach (gene-expression analyses, miRNAs, circulating microparticles, cell cultures, and single-cell assays).
- Since 2015 we have enrolled more than 83 patients and 86 healthy subjects to analyze clinical, biometrical, and skin and blood samples.
- We have first deciphered the molecular profile of scalp psoriasis by immunohistochemical techniques, quantification and gene expression of molecules mediating inflammation.
- We have recently created the PAIDI CTS-1041 Group "New diagnostic and therapeutic methods in immunomediated inflammatory skin diseases".
- We have identified two proteins of the route JAK/STAT whose genes are overexpressed in the skin lesional and non-lesional of patients with vitiligo and others with fibrous frontal alopecia. The importance of these findings is that they are possible targets for therapies currently on the market and that have no indication approved for the treatment of these diseases.
- We have stablished collaborative agreements for the development of research projects with Dr. Emma Guttman, director of the Ezcema Center and Laboratory of Inflammatory Skin diseases, Icahn School of Medicine Center at Mount Sinai New York (USA).
- The PI is part of the expert panel of Scientific Project evaluators of the H2020-JTI-IMI2 program of the EU on genome-Environment interactions in Inflammatory Skin Disease.
- Since 2012 we have enrolled more than 450 patients to analyze clinical, biometrical, dietary and exercise habits, and blood samples used to assess drug efficiency, to perform efficiency, economic, pharmacogenetic, and gene-environment interaction studies.
- We have first described that STAT3 31313A > G (rs744166) polymorphism influences the metabolic syndrome phenotype and anti-TNFs response in women with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
- We have also explored influencing seasonal patterns of relapse in anti-TNF psoriatic responders after temporary drug discontinuation.
- Three PhD candidates are working on this research line.
- We got founding to develop this research line from the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII) (ICI1400136/2015-2018 to JR).
- We have established collaborative agreements for the development of research projects with Dr. J. Krueger, director of the Laboratory of Investigative Dermatology, the Rockefeller University, New York (USA), and Dr. Mayte Suárez-Fariñas, Associated Professor, Dept. of Population Health Science and Policy, Dept. of genetics and Genomics Science, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology at Icahn School of Medicine Center at Mount Sinai New York (USA).
We evaluate the magnitude and quality of evidence about the efficacy and safety of drugs used for the treatment of skin diseases during clinical development phase.
- We have compared the efficacy and safety of different biological treatments for moderate-severe psoriasis through systematic review and network meta-analysis and the results have been incorporated to the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Psoriasis of the British Academy of Dermatology.
- For the first time, we have described the influence of source of funding and conflict of interest of authors on the methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses about psoriasis.
- During 2017 we published 8 systematic reviews or meta-epidemiological studies in D1/Q1 journals.
- Two PhD candidates are working on this research line.
- The group is integrated into and collaborates with the Cochrane Skin Group and the Cochrane Bias Method Group.
- Our group has been recently granted by the Consejería de Salud (to JR) to develop a project titled “Proyecto Éaco: Desarrollo y validación de un instrumento tecnológico en red para el apoyo en la toma de decisiones en la práctica clínica (PIN-0316-2017)”.
We have participated in 10 clinical trials (phase II and Phase II), 3 observational studies and one independent clinical trial.
Project title: Cardiovascular risk factors in a Spanish population of patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis vulgaris, with or without associated psoriatic arthritis, treated with anti-TNF-α in real clinical practice. Analysis of the influence of Metabolic Syndrome on treatment efcacy. Principal Investigator: Juan Ruano. (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01753245). Funded by Pfzer R&D's IIR program 2012.
Project title: Evaluación preclínica de la eficacia del compuesto CVX-785 y sus derivados en ensayos in vitro y modelos murinos de psoriasis (CDTI IDI20140274). Sponsor: Canvax S.L. Principal Investigator: Juan Ruano.
Project title: A Phase 3 Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Induction and Maintenance Regimens of Brodalumab Compared with Placebo and Ustekinumab in Subjects with Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis: AMAGINE-2. Sponsor: Amgen Inc. Principal Investigator: Juan Ruano.
Project title: Phase 3, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo and Active Comparator-controlled Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Guselkumab in the Treatment of Subjects With Moderate to Severe Plaque- type Psoriasis (VOYAGE 1). Sponsor: Janssen-Cilag. Principal Investigator: Juan Ruano. (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02207231)
Project title: Plaque Psoriasis Efficacy and Safety With Secukinumab (OPTIMISE). Sponsor: Novartis. Principal Investigator: Juan Ruano. (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02409667)
Project title: Dose-finding Study of QGE031 as add-on Therapy to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety in Patients With Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria. Sponsor: Novartis. Principal Investigator: Juan Ruano. (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02477332)
Project title: A Safety Extension Study to Evaluate the Long-term Safety of QGE031 in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU) Patients. Sponsor: Novartis. Principal Investigator: Juan Ruano. (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02649218)
Project title: A multicentre, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, controlled study, to assess the efficacy and safety of P-3074 cutaneous spray, solution, in the treatment of male pattern baldness. Sponsor: Polichem. Principal Investigator: Juan Ruano. (EudraCT ID: 2015-002877-40)
Project title: Estudio Multicentrico de Fase 3, Aleatorizado, Doble Ciego para Evaluar la Eficacia Comparativa de Guselkumab (CNTO1959) y Secukinumab en el Tratamiento de la Psoriasis en Placa de Moderada a Grave (CNTO1959PSO3009)). Sponsor: Novartis. Principal Investigator: Juan Ruano. (EudraCT ID: 2016-002995-29)
Project title: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tralokinumab monotherapy in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis who are candidates for systemic therapy ECZTRA-1 (LP0162-1325) Sponsor: Leo Pharma. Principal Investigator: Juan Ruano. (ClinicalTrials Id: NCT03131648)
Networks
PAIDI CTS-1041 Scientific Group. Coordinator (PI) of the Group "New diagnostic and therapeutic methods in immunomediated inflammatory skin diseases"" that belongs to the Andalusian Research Plan since March 2018
Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, Rockefeller University, NY, USA
Ezcema center and the Laboratory of Inflammatory Skin Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine Center at Mount Sinai New York (EEUU)
Dept. of Population Health Science and Policy and Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology at Icahn School of Medicine Center at Mount Sinai New York (EEUU)
Keywords
- Immune-mediated skin diseases
- psoriasis
- atopic dermatitis
- vitiligo
- alopecia areata
- genetic polymorphisms
- biological therapies
- cell culture
- cold atmospheric plasma
- cost-efficiency analyses
- systematic reviews
- meta-analyses
- meta-epidemiology
Additional Information
Links
- Academia Española de Dermatología y Venereología
- Acción Psoriasis - Asociación de Pacientes de Psoriasis y Familiares
- Icanh School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, USA
- National Psoriasis Foundation
- Video (Zinkinn platform)
- Data analysis visualization club IMIBIC
Featured Publications
We have published 90 articles in scientific journals and as communications to national and international scientific meetings, some of the last and outstanding are:
- Ruano J, Gómez-GarcíaF, Gay-Mimbrera J, Aguilar-Luque M, Fernández-Rueda JL, Fernández-Chaichio J, Alcalde-Mellado P, Carmona-Fernandez PJ, Sanz-Cabanillas JL, Viguera-Guerra I, Franco-García F, Cárdenas-Aranzana M, Hernández Romero JL, Gonzalez-Padilla M, Isla-Tejera B, Velez Garcia-Nieto A. Evaluating characteristics of PROSPERO records as predictors of eventual publication of non-Cochrane systematic reviews: a meta-epidemiological study protocol. Systematic Reviews 2018 March [In press]
- Gómez‐García F, Epstein D, Isla‐Tejera B, Lorente A, Vélez García‐Nieto A, Ruano J. Short‐term efficacy and safety of new biological agents targeting the interleukin‐23–T helper 17 pathway for moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis: a systematic review and network meta‐analysis. British Journal of Dermatology. 2017 Mar 1;176(3):594-603.
- Gómez-García F, Ruano J, Aguilar-Luque M, Alcalde-Mellado P, Gay-Mimbrera J, Hernández-Romero JL, Sanz-Cabanillas JL, Maestre-López B, González-Padilla M, Carmona-Fernández PJ, García-Nieto AV. Abstract analysis method facilitates filtering low-methodological quality and high-bias risk systematic reviews on psoriasis interventions. BMC medical research methodology. 2017 Dec;17(1):180.
- Gómez-García F, Ruano J, Gay-Mimbrera J, Aguilar-Luque M, Sanz-Cabanillas JL, Alcalde-Mellado P, Maestre-López B, Carmona-Fernández PJ, González-Padilla M, García-Nieto AV, Isla-Tejera B. Most systematic reviews of high methodological quality on psoriasis interventions are classified as high risk of bias using ROBIS tool. Journal of clinical epidemiology. 2017 Dec 1;92:79-88.
- Sanz-Cabanillas JL, Ruano J, Gomez-Garcia F, Alcalde-Mellado P, Gay-Mimbrera J, Aguilar-Luque M, Maestre-Lopez B, Gonzalez-Padilla M, Carmona-Fernandez PJ, Garcia-Nieto AV, Isla-Tejera B. Author-paper affiliation network architecture influences the methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of psoriasis. PloS one. 2017 Apr 12;12(4):e0175419.
- Gómez‐García F, Ruano J, Aguilar‐Luque M, Gay‐Mimbrera J, Maestre‐Lopez B, Sanz‐Cabanillas JL, Carmona‐Fernández PJ, González‐Padilla M, Vélez García‐Nieto A, Isla‐Tejera B. Systematic reviews and meta‐analyses on psoriasis: role of funding sources, conflict of interest and bibliometric indices as predictors of methodological quality. British Journal of Dermatology. 2017 Jun 1;176(6):1633-44.
- Gay-Mimbrera J, García MC, Isla-Tejera B, Rodero-Serrano A, García-Nieto AV, Ruano J. Clinical and biological principles of cold atmospheric plasma application in skin cancer. Advances in therapy. 2016 Jun 1;33(6):894-909.
- Ruano J, Suárez-Fariñas M, Shemer A, Oliva M, Guttman-Yassky E, Krueger JG. Molecular and cellular profiling of scalp psoriasis reveals differences and similarities compared to skin psoriasis. PloS one. 2016 Feb 5;11(2):e0148450.
Technology transfer
We have created a spin off on data mining called info4CURE that has obtained the AENOR quality certificate as Joven Empresa Innovadora (EA0043).
Awards
- "Gonzalo Mino Fugarolas" award (to PI) for the best young researcher (2006), University of Cordoba, Spain.
- "III Best Innovative Project Award IMIBIC-Roche 2016", Córdoba, Spain.
- "Fellowship Infammatory Skin Disease Summit 2016", New York, USA.
- "Premio Cátedra de psoriasis Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Pfizer a la Mejor Publicación 2016 sobre Psoriasis o Artritis Psoriásica", Madrid, Spain.
Collaboration with technology-based companies
- Canvax Biotech S.L.
- Lynhce Diagnostics S.L.
- ZebrafishLab S.L.
