Dr. Ana Belén Pérez Oliva, Principal Investigator at IMIB and coordinator of NANEMIAR Project, explains to us how her team is contributing to NANEMIAR.

Hi, Ana! Thank you very much for accepting our invitation to this interview. First, could you explain the role of your team in NANEMIAR?

The team at IMIB is one of the Academic partners of NANEMIAR, our goal is to validate the Lipid nanoparticles (LNP) in ex vivo patient samples. Firstly, we are testing the LNP in healthy donors, and later on we will test them in congenital anemia patients samples with a Proof of Concept with beta-thalassemia.

What type of expertise does your team bring to the project’s research objectives?

Our team offers extensive expertise in Red blood cell (RBC) differentiation. We have established different protocols to differentiate stem cells from patients to RBC. We also performe colony formation assays to evaluate the prodcuton of erythrocytes. Our team has robust experience in cell culture with human samples.

What has led you personally to investigate these types of diseases?

The aim is to translate our research to society and our research applies to congenital anemias. A rare condition without current treatment brings us together with physicians to translate our research into a treatment for these patients.

What do you find interesting about focusing your life on research?

The possibility to bring light to a rare condition without current treatment. Our motivation is to contribute at any level to improve patient lives.

What does your research focus on?

With regard to the NANEMIAR project objectives, our research focuses on find new treatments of congenital anemias. We have different projects at National and Regional levels to find new treatments for these diseases and to understand better at molecular levels these diseases.
We have the hope that with the NANEMIAR project, we will be able in the near future to design a clinical trials to improve the lives of these patients.

What is the impact of your NANEMIAR contribution on the Patients?

The major impact of our contribution could be the possibility of establishing a potential clinical trial to test a new treatment for these patients. The approximation is very innovative, and so far these patients lack of efficient treatments for their disease. Therefore, the principal aim of our team is to contribute to the development of these potential new treatment.

Source of information: NANEMIAR project