Researchers from ICVS, in collaboration with i3S, University of Coimbra and international partners, have unveiled a promising new strategy for the treatment of Machado–Joseph disease, also known as Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3). The study, published in the prestigious journal Advanced Science, focuses on preventing the aggregation of mutant ataxin-3 protein, the molecular cause of this rare, inherited neurodegenerative disease, for which there is currently no cure.

Doctor Ricardo Silvestre has officially taken office as the new Vice-Director of the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS) at the School of Medicine, University of Minho, succeeding Doctor Agostinho Carvalho, who left the position to assume the role of Vice-President for Research at the School of Medicine.

Until now, glioblastoma has been considered the most lethal brain cancer in adults. After two decades, there is no substantial change in survival rates. Classic treatment modalities involving surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy have often shown limited benefits, mainly due to the tumor’s underlying resistance mechanisms or due to the inefficacy of drug delivery to the brain itself. In this context, a new research project funded by the la Caixa Foundation is aimed at rethinking the treatment for this disease. Among the partners of this project is ICVS researcher Bruno Costa.

On 24th of November, ICVS marked World Science Day and the National Day of Scientific Culture by hosting the roundtable “Science: It’s Fundamental!”, an event designed to spotlight the essential role of fundamental science in driving innovation in health and shaping the society of tomorrow.

A spin-off born at the ICVS has just taken a significant step toward translating biomedical innovation into reality. IPLEXMED signed a major technology transfer agreement with the University of Minho and the INL, acquiring exclusive rights to groundbreaking graphene-based biosensing technology for the detection of malaria and other pathogenic bacteria.

A new international study, with contribution by a team from the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute at the School of Medicine of the University of Minho has found how increasing the levels of a natural brain molecule, known as NAD⁺, can restore memory in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease.