In 2026, four visits were organized, all related to the 2020 La Marató dedicated to COVID-19. Two of them focused on the project “The interaction between the ACE2 and AXL systems to predict the severity and outcomes of COVID-19 disease,” co-led by José Tomás Ortiz, from the Cardiac imaging group at IDIBAPS, and Albert Morales, head of the Hepatocellular signaling and cancer group at IIBB-CSIC-IDIBAPS.
When the SARS-CoV-2 virus enters the body, it needs to bind to specific proteins on the surface of cells in order to infect them. These proteins, known as cellular receptors, act as entry points that allow the virus to penetrate and replicate. This project has analyzed how these receptors work together and how they may influence the body’s inflammatory response, with the aim of better understanding why some people develop more severe forms of COVID-19 and how this can be predicted.
The other two visits focused on the research project “Male reproductive function in COVID-19 patients.” Led by Rafael Oliva, head of the IDIBAPS group Molecular biology of reproduction and development, the study has analyzed the possible reproductive consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection and strategies to mitigate these effects.
The study found that although there is an acute impact as a result of the infection, the outcomes in patients with clinical involvement were generally encouraging, as a gradual recovery of the affected parameters was observed in both mild and severe cases. In fact, after three months, corresponding to the duration of a spermatogenic cycle, most patients no longer showed fertility problems.
Last year, the visits that were organized were related to the 2019 La Marató, dedicated to rare diseases.
