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Scientific Areas

CBIOS develops Integrated Health Strategies by applying the competence of all it’s members in four research domains:

Natural Bioatives & Circular Economy

Science Coordinator: Patricia Rijo

Natural Bioactives
Natural Products chemistry
Extraction optimization, isolation and structural characterization
Molecular Design
Semi-synthesis of Bioactive Molecules & Structure-Activity Relationship studies
Bioactives analysis and quantification
HPLC, GC and FTIR analysis

Computational modeling

Ionic Liquids
Synthesis and new applications

 

Scientific highlights

Patricia Rijo

  • C20-nor-Abietane and Three Abietane Diterpenoids from Plectranthus mutabilis Leaves as P-  Glycoprotein Modulators. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2022.
  • Rijo, P. & Efferth T. Editorial: II Bio.Natural-Bioactive Natural Products Research Meeting: Pharmacology Perspectives. Front. Pharmacol. Sec. Ethnopharmacology 2022.
  • Increased antibacterial properties of indoline-derived phenolic Mannich bases. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2021.
  • National Patent INPI – 116986, 2021: Non-leaching biocidal foams with antifouling activity, process for their production and uses.
  • Agreement with company: SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals, 2022, Research and Development of Canabis derivatives for medicinal use.
  • Egon Stahl-Award in Bronze: Epole Ntungwe, best PhD thesis, attributed by  Society for Medicinal Plant Research, Thessaloniki, Grécia,  2022.
  • Award Portugal 2021Baguitas Ecotrophelia.

 

Computational Modeling
Daniel dos Santos

  • Pedrolane, a Polycyclic Diterpene Scaffold Containing a Bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane System, from Euphorbia pedroi, Org. Lett. 2021.
  • FCT Project: Fighting multidrugresistance in cancer by targeting P-glycoprotein, CPCA/A0/7304/2020
  • FCT Project: Exploring the efflux and modulation mechanism of Human BCRP through Molecular Dynamics Simulations, CPCA/A00/7319/2020.
  • Seed Funding Project: CoSysCan: Combining synergistic approaches to fight cancer, ILIND/COFAC.

 

Ionic Liquids
Andreia Rosatella

  • International, SPS Programme, NATO: Co-coordinator: EnzIL – Biofriendly decontamination of Chemical Warfare Agents.
  • FCT Project: Smart Ionic Liquids For Valorization of Food residues, EXPL/OCE-ETA/1109/2021.                                                                   

Nutrition & Wellbeing

Science Coordinator: Cintia Pêgo

Influence of different dietary patterns on body composition and metabolic health and markers

Identification of dietary compounds with therapeutic potential for diabetes

Effect of probiotic foods on skin health

Determinants of food choice among university students

Public health, pharmacy and health services digitalization

 

Scientific highlights

Diet, Body Composition, Skin and Cardiovascular Health
Cintia Pêgo

  • Comparison between Different Groups of Vegetarianism and Its associations with Body Composition: A Literature Review from 2015 to 2021. Nutrients, 2022
  • Bioimpedance and Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry are not equivalent technologies: comparing Fat Mass and Fat-Free Mass. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022.
  • Body composition assessment of vegetarian-vegan and omnivore young women – an exploratory study. Biomedical and Biopharmaceutical Research, 2021

Surveillance of Dietary Parameters and Eating Habits
Cintia Pêgo

  • Changes in Eating Habits among Displaced and Non-Displaced University Students. International journal of environmental research and public health, 2020.
  • Eating behavior: The influence of age, nutrition knowledge, and Mediterranean diet. Nutrition and Health, 2020.
  • University Students Eating Habits: Normal Semester vs. Lockdown Period Caused by COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022.

Health Services Research
João Gregório

  • Reimbursed medication adherence enhancing interventions in European countries: Results of the EUREcA study. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2022.
  • The Long-Term Association between Physical Activity and Weight Regain, Metabolic Risk Factors, Quality of Life and Sleep after Bariatric Surgery. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022
  • Implementation of digital monitoring services during the COVID-19 pandemic for patients With chronic diseases: design science approach. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2021.
  • “Each one has their own role”: exploratory study on consumers’ perceptions about nutritionists’ services provided in Community Pharmacies. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 2021.

Dietary Compounds with Therapeutic Potential for Diabetes
Regina Menezes

  • Urolithin B: two-way attack on IAPP proteotoxicity with implications for diabetes. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2022.
  • Updated Information of the Effects of (Poly)phenols against Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus in Humans: Reinforcing the Recommendations for Future Research. Nutrients. 2022.
  • Urolithins: Diet-Derived Bioavailable Metabolites to Tackle Diabetes. Nutrients, 2021.
    Rice Compounds with Impact on Diabetes Control. Foods, 2021.
  • Combined effect of interventions with pure or enriched mixtures of (poly)phenols and anti-diabetic medication in type 2 diabetes management: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled human trials. European Journal of Nutrition, 2020.

Dietary Compounds with Therapeutic Potential
Emilia Alves

  • Homemade Kefir Consumption Improves Skin Condition—A Study Conducted in Healthy and Atopic Volunteers. Foods, 2021.

 

 

Formulation Strategies & Nanosolutions

Science Coordinator: Catarina Rosado

Application of novel and sustainable ingredients in topical and transdermal formulations

Formulation strategies based on nanosystems

Stability, release and permeation studies

Assessment of efficacy and safety of ingredients and formulations

 

Scientific highlights

Exploring Ingredients of Natural Origin
Catarina Rosado

        • COMPETE 2020 Project: NETA-New Strategies in Wastewater Treatment, POCI-01-0247-FEDER-046959.
        • Potential use of lipid extracts from the Hermetia illucens larvae as pharmaceutical and cosmetic ingredients. Heliyon, 2022.
        • Evaluation of Industrial Sour Cherry Liquor Wastes as an Ecofriendly Source of Added Value. Waste and Biomass Valorization, 2018.
        • Another Reason for Using Caffeine in Dermocosmetics: Sunscreen Adjuvant. Front Physiol. 2019.
        • Topical drug delivery systems based on bacterial nanocellulose: accelerated stability testing. Int J Molecular Sciences, 2020.
        • Homemade Kefir Consumption Improves Skin Condition—A Study Conducted in Healthy and Atopic Volunteers. Foods, 2021.
        • Impact of Portuguese propolis on keratinocyte proliferation, migration and ROS protection: significance for applications in skin products. Int J Cosmet Sci., 2022.

    Bioinspired Materials in Nanosolutions
    Catarina Leite

            • FCT Project: Bioinspired materials in nanosolutions to tackle atopic dermatitis, EXPL/BTM-MAT/0112/2021.
            • FCT PhD Research Grant: Valorization of organic waste: Can insect oil become a pharmaceutical ingredient to tackle atopic dermatitis?, UI/BD/151423/2021.
            • Nanodelivery Strategies for Skin Diseases with Barrier Impairment: Focusing on Ceramides and Glucocorticoids. Nanomaterials 2022.
            • CBIOS/FCT Research grant: Multifunctional nanotechnology-based formulations for the management of rare skin diseases related to DNA repair disorders, UIDB/04567/2020.
            • COFAC/ILIND Project: Exploiting the potential of dehydroabietic acid formulations to tackle skin ageing, COFAC/ILIND/CBIOS/2/2020

 

 

Models and Molecular Mechanisms

Science Coordinator: Ana Sofia Fernandes

Modelling and experimental design in silico, in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, human

Assessment of mechanisms of action: Cell viability/death/proliferation, cell migration, redox biology, microcirculation

Efficacy demonstration of health products and interventions

Safety assessment of health products: Cytotoxicity, genotoxicity

Non-invasive assessment of physiological functions

Oncobiology / skin physiology/ microcirculation

 

Scientific highlights

Dietary Compounds and Kidney Cancer Progression
Ana Sofia Fernandes

      • A multiple endpoint approach reveals potential in vitro anticancer properties of thymoquinone in human renal carcinoma cells. Food & Chemical Toxicology, 2020.
      • The dietary isothiocyanate erucin reduces kidney cell motility by disturbing tubulin polymerization. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 2022.
      • Polyphenols and Their Metabolites in Renal Diseases: An Overview. Foods, 2022.

Loxl2 Inhibitors as Novel Drugs against Breast Cancer
Ana Sofia Fernandes
João Guilherme Costa

      • LOXL2 Inhibitors and Breast Cancer Progression. Antioxidants, 2021.
      • Lysyl oxidases expression and breast cancer progression: a bioinformatic analysis. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2022.
      • COFAC/ILIND Project: LusoModLox – Lusophone flora fighting disease: focus on therapeutic lysyl oxidase modulators

Role of Tmbims on Glioma Progression
Nuno Saraiva

      • Stimulation of cell invasion via an H2O2-Dependent Mechanism, Redox Biology, 2020
      • FCT Grant: Fine-tuning TMBIM ion channel activity to control hallmarks of cancer, CPCA/A1/410638/2021

Redox and Immunological Biomarkers in Breast Cancer
Ana Sofia Fernandes
Nuno Saraiva

  • Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in early breast cancer: an exploratory analysis focused on HER2+ subtype in Portuguese patients. Current Medical Research and Opinion, 2022.
  • Sociedade Portuguesa de Senologia Award: Occurrence of relapse after neoadjuvant treatment with trastuzumab and pertuzumab in HER2+ breast cancer patients: preliminary results from an Iberic cohort, 2021.

Microcirculation Modelling
Luis Monteiro Rodrigues

  • Lower limb massage in humans increases local perfusion and impacts systemic hemodynamics, Journal of applied physiology, 2020.
  • Characterizing Vascular Dysfunction in Genetically Modified Mice through the Hyperoxia Model, Int. J. Mol. Sci., 2019

Lower Limb Perfusion Asymmetries
Luis Monteiro Rodrigues

  • Lower limb dynamic activity significantly reduces foot skin perfusion– exploring data with different optical sensors in age-grouped healthy adults. Skin Pharmacol Physiol., 2021.
  • Perfusion, Stance and Plantar Pressure Asymmetries on the Human Foot in the Absence of Disease—A Pilot Study, Symmetry, 2022

Skin Modeling
Luis Monteiro Rodrigues

  • The Impact of Kefir on Epidermal Water Homeostasis in Healthy Human Skin. Life, 2022.

 

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