ICVS Researchers Receive Oncology Fellowships to Support Cancer Research

The Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro – Núcleo Regional do Norte (LPCC-NRN) has awarded three one-year research grants to ICVS researchers, Julieta Afonso, Joana Vieira, and Ana Raquel Cunha, as part of its commitment to supporting innovative oncology research in Portugal. The fellowships, designed to promote scientific progress and enhance cancer care, were granted to 15 researchers this year, with ICVS being one of the institutions to receive the most awards.

The Advanced Research Fellowship category, reserved for doctoral researchers, has been awarded to Julieta Afonso for her project “Lactate as an Epigenetic Regulator in Cancer: A Novel Therapeutic Target?” This investigation aims to explore lactate and its transmembrane transporters as a potential mediator of histone lactylation, an epigenetic modification that can impact cancer patients’ prognosis and management. With the support of this fellowship, Afonso will delve deeper into this innovative area of research, shedding new light on the complex relationship between cancer and epigenetics.

From left to right: Julieta Afonso, Joana Vieira, Ana Raquel Cunha ICVS/EM

In the Initiation Research Fellowship category, designed for researchers with a master’s degree, Joana Vieira received funding for her project “Unraveling the Potential of Chromene Compounds as Novel Epigenetic Therapeutic Agents for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)”. Vieira’s research will focus on investigating a novel class of chromene-based compounds as potential epigenetic therapies for AML, with the long-term goal of advancing personalized therapeutic strategies for this devastating disease.

Ana Raquel Cunha’s Initiation Research grant will support her project, “Unveiling CD147 as a Modulator of Immunosurveillance in Colorectal Cancer”. This research aims to assess CD147 as both a prognostic and therapeutic biomarker in colorectal cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. By generating preclinical evidence, Cunha’s project seeks to develop innovative therapeutic strategies utilizing immune checkpoint inhibitors and address critical challenges in CRC prognosis and treatment.