Juan Torras

Biography

Dr. Joan Torras has more than 25 years of experience in experimental studies and clinical trials and is responsible for the primary renal diseases of the Nephrology Department at Bellvitge Hospital. He published more than 200 Scientific Articles, the majority in the international arena, with more than 6100 citations and an RG index of 45,7. He has an H-index of 43, an AA rating of the University PDA, and Advanced
Accreditation in the AQUA (Professor). He led three pre-grade projects and up to twelve doctoral dissertations. Through his extensive experience he focused in several lines:
1. Pathophysiology of ischemia-reperfusion in naive or allograft models. Protective drugs and gene therapy. The protective effect of ischemic preconditioning and of several other drug targets. Value of anti-CD40 siRNA in a model of warm ischemia and in renal preservation.
2. Setting the experimental transplantation model, first in Spain. Analysis of the different role of ischemia or alloreactivity in induction of CAN. Protection of cold ischemia by an endothelin antagonist. Prevention of acute rejection by anti-CD40 siRNA thanks to a project from the TV3 Marathon Foundation. Effectiveness in the prevention of acute rejection of a JAK-3 kinase inhibitor (pre-clinical development in collaboration with Palaupharma and CENIT program). Cell therapy with adult stem cells. Value of MSC-derived exosomes as immunomodulators and as transporters of gene material in the renal transplant model.
3. Gene therapy using hHGF electroporation. Protective effect in the diabetic nephro-pathy and CAN in the transplantation models. Different effect of direct renal vs intramuscular electroporation in the protection of warm ischemia. Cellular mecha-nisms involved in the regression of experimental diabetic nephropathy. Model of bone marrow transplantation and renal tropism after hHGF electroporation. Evaluating the infusion of naive or genetically modified M2 as regenerators in obstructive uropathy and diabetic nephropathy.
4. Experimental lupus nephritis. Preventive-therapeutic value of a JAK-3 kinase inhibitor, anti-CD40 siRNA and C4bp, a complement inhibitor. Study of the pharmacokinetics and -dynamics of siRNA in the animal model. Gene silencers against BLISS and IRF5E in lupus model, individually or in combination therapy. Mechanisms related to atherosclerosis and CKD. Network description of the mRNAs and miRNAs involved.
5. Models of population pharmacokinetics in the dosage of valganciclovir in CMV prophylaxistherapy. Comparison of our approach versus the dosing guided by labeling. Pharmaco-kinetic, -dynamic and -genomic of tacrolimus in a population of kidney transplant patients. Tacrolimus dose adjustment according to population kinetics models.
6.- Evaluation of the cellular allo-response in human renal transplantation using ELISPOT. Predictive analysis of both T- and B- ELISPOT in the immunosuppressive regimen decision. Validation of ELISPOT against CMV antigens as predictor of individual response in kidney transplant patients. Tailoring and development of ELISPOT B in alloresponse and CMV.
7. Study of Calprotectin or ELISPOT as new biomarkers in autoimmune diseases, such as membranous nephropathy or ANCA vasculitis. For this line, we obtained project and personal resources from the Hospital Research Commission.