They are one of the most promising pharmacological tools, custom-designed for diseases such as Alzheimer's, various types of cancer, or multiple sclerosis. A multicenter project, with the participation of the CSIC, aims to create the XNA-HUB platform for designing new therapeutic molecules based on modified nucleic acids. For doing this, the platform will utilize supercomputing techniques and predictive models of Artificial Intelligence.

Created by a team led by the CSIC and the UPV, it is capable of inhibiting the cytokine storm associated with severe inflammation while preserving innate immunity. It is a synthetic derivative of andrographolide, the active ingredient of the plant Andrographis paniculate, commonly known as kalmegh or King of Bitters. It may also be useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, lung inflammation and fatty liver disease.

A multicentre study led by the CSIC has developed a biomaterial based on the eggshell membrane, which takes advantage of its natural qualities to obtain a biohybrid material with future applications in guided bone regeneration and pulp capping.

The device, tested in Antarctica, optimises the efficient collection of samples and allows them to be analysed in situ. The breakthrough has been made possible by combining technologies that include the use of portable equipment to obtain and analyse DNA sequences, and proprietary analysis software, which has been patented. This development may also have applications in the clinical setting and in industry.

The Laboratory of cancer bioinformatics and functional genomics from the Cancer Research Centre, a joint centre of the CSIC and the University of Salamanca (USAL), has designed a risk predictor for breast cancer patients using machine learning techniques. It allows the identification of genes associated with survival and risk of patients. The new test could be easily translated into the clinical practice, given that its development cost is similar to other routine techniques.

The CSIC and the Miguel Hernández University have developed a basket for in vitro tissue analysis. It enables to fix the sample and allowing its transport between wells without damaging it. It has an optimised design that allows the replacement of the mesh, the maximum use of the surface of the well and an efficient use of the reagents used.

The CSIC, the Banc de Sang i Teixits de Catalunya and the Idibell have signed an agreement to research the production of CAR-NK cells, which are easier to produce than the CAR-T cells used successfully in immunotherapy. The research will test stem cell editing using two technologies patented by the CSIC. One of the goals is to create a bank of CAR-NK anti-tumour cells for immediate use.

Scientists at the Centre for Molecular Biology (CBM), joint center of the CSIC and the UAM, have developed antibodies that neutralise the SFRP1 protein, which according to recent studies is a crucial player in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and a promising therapeutic target. The aim is to obtain a drug that can delay the progression of the disease. Now they are searching for partners to scale-up the trial for clinical use.