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The problem
Advanced cirrhosis has no curative therapy, and genomic data outpace our ability to interpret it.
- No therapy reverses late liver fibrosis
- Variants of uncertain significance delay diagnosis
- Classical newborn screening has plateaued
IDIBAPS research group
HEMERA-Lab
Biomarkers and Laboratory Precision Medicine in Hepatology, Metabolism and Rare Diseases
From high-complexity laboratory diagnostics to regenerative nanomedicine, biomarkers, multi-omics, nanotechnology, genetics and clinical biochemistry applied to liver disease, inherited metabolic disorders and rare diseases.
“With the patient as the ultimate goal of our scientific activity, we pursue sustainable, translational research that incorporates the sex and gender dimension to ensure equitable impact across all strata, regardless of disease prevalence.”
30
Researchers and staff
7
Research lines
300+
Rare diseases screened
7
Active funded projects
Objectives
Current research
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Our approach
High-complexity diagnostics joined with innovative therapy along three synergistic axes.
- Liver-targeted nanomedicine and regeneration
- Multi-omics and AI for rare diseases
- Genomic newborn screening
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Expected impact
From symptomatic management to predictive, preventive and regenerative laboratory medicine.
- Less dependence on liver transplantation
- Fewer false positives, faster diagnosis
- Screening for 300+ rare diseases
Research lines
Seven synergistic lines
Nanomedicine, cell therapy and tissue engineering in liver diseases
Directed by Pedro Melgar-Lesmes
Molecular targets in each hepatic cellular compartment are used to design precision therapies with nanoparticles delivering nucleic acids or drugs to specific cell types in inflammation, fibrosis, regeneration and cancer, together with 3D scaffolds, hydrogels and 3D-printed liver organoids to study therapeutic responses.
Multi-omics in newborn screening, diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases
Directed by Judit García-Villoria
Translational research in rare diseases, particularly inherited metabolic disorders, combining genomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics and proteomics with clinical, analytical, bioinformatic and experimental data to improve diagnostic efficiency and deliver more equitable, sustainable precision medicine.
Translational application of nanozymes in liver and metabolic diseases
Directed by Gregori Casals
Cerium- and gold-based nanozymes are engineered as catalytic platforms with antioxidant activity to correct redox imbalance, lipid dysregulation and inflammation in steatotic liver disease, and evaluated for safety and efficacy in preclinical models.
Non-invasive biomarkers and antifibrotic strategies
Directed by Manuel Morales-Ruiz
Research and clinical validation of non-invasive serological markers of liver injury and its complications, together with new molecular targets and therapeutic strategies that bridge early non-invasive diagnosis and the resolution of chronic liver disease.
Featured publications
Ask our science directly
Selected peer-reviewed work from HEMERA-Lab. Open any article and ask questions about it — an AI assistant answers using the article record and its abstract, always citing the source.
Genes and Diseases · 2026
TfR1 deficiency beyond combined immunodeficiency. Pivotal role of mitochondrial function and iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis in disease pathogenesis
Loss of the transferrin receptor TfR1 disrupts mitochondrial function and iron-sulfur cluster assembly, explaining symptoms beyond immunodeficiency.
Nature Genetics · 2025
Mutations in the small nuclear RNA gene RNU2-2 cause a severe neurodevelopmental disorder with prominent epilepsy
Variants in the small nuclear RNA gene RNU2-2 define a new severe neurodevelopmental disorder with prominent epilepsy.
International Journal of Nanomedicine · 2025
Mesoporous silica-encapsulated cerium oxide nanozymes and quercetin for synergistic ROS-modulated downregulation of inflammatory cytokines
Cerium oxide nanozymes encapsulated in mesoporous silica plus quercetin act together to tune reactive oxygen species and lower inflammatory cytokines.
Liver International · 2023
Tcf20 deficiency is associated with increased liver fibrogenesis and alterations in mitochondrial metabolism in mice and humans
Tcf20 deficiency increases liver fibrogenesis and alters mitochondrial metabolism in both mouse models and patients.
News
See all →2025-06-20
La Marató de 3Cat funds eight research projects led or co-led by Clínic, IDIBAPS and ISGlobal teams
Among the selected projects is the search for antifibrotic molecules in the alveolar type II cell secretome, co-led from HEMERA-Lab.
2025-02-04
Catalonia joins CrinGenEs, a genomic newborn screening pilot to detect more than 300 rare diseases
Hospital Clínic Barcelona-IDIBAPS and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu lead a pioneering initiative that adds genomic sequencing to the newborn screening programme.
2025-02-04
World Cancer Day 2025: Clínic-IDIBAPS publishes around 450 oncology papers a year
Twenty-five research groups, HEMERA-Lab among them, address the main challenges of cancer research at the Clínic-IDIBAPS campus.