Josep Maria Argiles, PhD

Editorial Board Member

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,
University of Barcelona, Spain

Contact Josep Maria Argiles, PhD

Department / University Information

University of Barcelona

Biography

Professor Josep M. Argiles was born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain in 1956 and completed his undergraduate studies in Biology at the University of Barcelona graduating with a First Class Honours Degree and Special Prize for the best B.Sc. (1979).  In 1981 he received his Doctorate in Biochemistry from the same university with Cum Laude obtaining the Prize for the best doctorate of that year.  He then became Lecturer in Biochemistry and carried out postdoctoral work on acetone metabolism in mammals. In 1987 he undertook further postdoctoral training in the Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Biology at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.  In 1988 he went to the Metabolic Research Laboratory, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, UK to work on the metabolic effects of cytokines. He later became Full Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Cancer at the Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona being the leader of a research group interested in cancer cachexia.His main contribution to the field of cancer research concern the mechanisms associated with cancer cachexia.  Indeed, Prof. Argiles was the first scientist to describe the mechanism responsible for the increased protein breakdown in skeletal muscle of cancer patients which seems to be responsible for muscle wasting. He is responsible for the introduction of the concept of the cytokine balance of the cancer patient, the ratio of the pro-cachectic (TNF-a, IL-6, g-IFN..) to anti-cachectic (IL-10, sTNFRs….) cytokines.  In addition to his work in describing mechanisms and mediators of cancer cachexia, Prof. Argiles has made interesting contributions in the form of pre-clinical studies regarding the pharmacological treatment of cachexia using different therapeutic strategies such as b2-agonists or anabolic cytokines, such as IL-15.

Research Interest

His main contribution to the field of cancer research concern the mechanisms associated with cancer cachexia.  Indeed, Prof. Argiles was the first scientist to describe the mechanism responsible for the increased protein breakdown in skeletal muscle of cancer patients which seems to be responsible for muscle wasting. He is responsible for the introduction of the concept of the cytokine balance of the cancer patient, the ratio of the pro-cachectic (TNF-a, IL-6, g-IFN..) to anti-cachectic (IL-10, sTNFRs….) cytokines.  In addition to his work in describing mechanisms and mediators of cancer cachexia, Prof. Argiles has made interesting contributions in the form of pre-clinical studies regarding the pharmacological treatment of cachexia using different therapeutic strategies such as b2-agonists or anabolic cytokines, such as IL-15.

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