Carlos Amado, specialist in Pulmonology at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, researcher at the Valdecilla Health Research Institute (IDIVAL), and associate professor at the University of Cantabria, has been one of the professionals recognized in the latest INNVAL program call for an innovation project focused on respiratory rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The project aims to identify mitochondrial biomarkers capable of predicting which patients will benefit most from this key therapy.
The award makes it possible to advance a research line with a strong translational focus, aimed at addressing an unmet clinical need. “This funding is essential because, in projects like this, the difference lies between an idea being abandoned along the way or being developed and generating useful knowledge,” Amado explains, emphasizing the potential of the results to improve clinical practice.
Biomarkers to anticipate treatment response
Respiratory rehabilitation is one of the pillars of COPD treatment, but its evaluation still relies largely on subjective questionnaires and functional tests with operational limitations. The project addresses this gap by searching for objective biomarkers that allow assessment of its clinical impact and prediction of patient response.
Specifically, the study will analyze molecules related to mitochondrial function — the mitokines humanin, MOTS-c, and GDF-15, as well as the ATPase inhibitor factor 1 (IF1) — closely linked to energy metabolism and muscle response to exercise, a tissue particularly affected in COPD patients.
“The main hypothesis is that we can begin to use biomarkers to detect which patients will benefit most from respiratory rehabilitation,” the researcher notes. “We know that COPD induces significant mitochondrial stress and that these alterations directly influence patients’ functional capacity.”
The project, designed as a prospective multicenter study, will serially evaluate these biomarkers throughout an eight‑week standardized respiratory rehabilitation program, correlating their changes with clinical, functional, body composition, and exercise capacity parameters. This is the first systematic approach to these markers in this therapeutic context.
Collaborative research and the role of SEPAR
Beyond its scientific relevance, the study has clear potential impact on healthcare organization. “If we manage to objectively identify the patients who will truly improve with this therapy, we can recommend it more precisely,” Amado points out. “It is an effective intervention, but limited in resources and time, and personalizing its use benefits both patients and the healthcare system.”
The project is being carried out with the participation of five hospitals from different regions of the country, strengthening its robustness and applicability. In this regard, the researcher highlights the role of the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR), where he has coordinated the Emerging COPD Group for the past three years, as a key element in facilitating collaboration among centers.
“Coordinating a multicenter project is complex, but SEPAR greatly facilitates networked work and professional involvement,” he says. Amado also encourages young researchers to rely on health research institutes and emerging groups within scientific societies as a way to begin and consolidate a research career.
