Claudia Nobrega

  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • (Neuro)Immunology
  • T cells
  • Chronic diseases

Claudia Nobrega research interest is related to the involvement of the immune system on multiple sclerosis (MS) pathophysiology.
Using a homogenous group of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and of primary progressive MS (PPMS) patients, newly-diagnosed and treatment-naïve, Claudia and her colleagues reported that, in comparison to healthy controls, patients’ T cell phenotype in the blood tips towards a less differentiated phenotype. Following this observation, they were granted the opportunity to explore the mechanisms underlying this, and to understand how this observation can be integrated in the current model of MS pathophysiology. Additionally, and in line with the recent compelling evidence supporting that infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) precedes MS, Claudia and her colleagues are also interested in assessing the function and the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of EBV specific CD8+ T cells from MS vs. EBV-seroconverted controls.
Claudia completed her PhD in 2009 studying the impact of thymic infection by mycobacteria on the differentiation of new T cells. Her Post-Doc was a turning point when she embraced human studies, to complement the mouse models she had been working with so far. She followed her interest in immunology in the context of chronic diseases, namely on infections by HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and more recently on MS. In these studies, gained traction on the implementation, nurturing and organization of biobanks of human samples (serum/plasma and PBMCs), maintenance of the respective data bases and fostering interaction and collaboration with the clinicians.

Claudia Nobrega

  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • (Neuro)Immunology
  • T cells
  • Chronic diseases

Claudia Nobrega research interest is related to the involvement of the immune system on multiple sclerosis (MS) pathophysiology.
Using a homogenous group of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and of primary progressive MS (PPMS) patients, newly-diagnosed and treatment-naïve, Claudia and her colleagues reported that, in comparison to healthy controls, patients’ T cell phenotype in the blood tips towards a less differentiated phenotype. Following this observation, they were granted the opportunity to explore the mechanisms underlying this, and to understand how this observation can be integrated in the current model of MS pathophysiology. Additionally, and in line with the recent compelling evidence supporting that infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) precedes MS, Claudia and her colleagues are also interested in assessing the function and the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of EBV specific CD8+ T cells from MS vs. EBV-seroconverted controls.
Claudia completed her PhD in 2009 studying the impact of thymic infection by mycobacteria on the differentiation of new T cells. Her Post-Doc was a turning point when she embraced human studies, to complement the mouse models she had been working with so far. She followed her interest in immunology in the context of chronic diseases, namely on infections by HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and more recently on MS. In these studies, gained traction on the implementation, nurturing and organization of biobanks of human samples (serum/plasma and PBMCs), maintenance of the respective data bases and fostering interaction and collaboration with the clinicians.

Scientific Highlights

Selected Publications:

J Canto-Gomes, C S. Silva, R Rb-Silva, D Boleixa, A Martins Da Silva, R Cheynier,P Soares Costa, I González- Suárez, M Correia-Neves, J J Cerqueira and C Nóbrega, “”Low memory T cells blood counts and high naïve regulatory T cells percentage at relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis diagnosis””. Front. Immunol. (2022). 13:901165

C Serre-Miranda*, C Nobrega*, S Roque*, J Canto-Gomes, C S Silva, N Vieira, P Barreira-Silva, P Alves-Peixoto, J Cotter, A Reis, M Formigo, H Sarmento, O Pires, A Carvalho, D Y Petrovykh, L Diéguez, J C Sousa, N Sousa, C Capela, J A Palha, P G Cunha, M Correia-Neves. “”Performance assessment of 11 commercial serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 on hospitalized COVID-19 patients””. Int. J. Inf. Dis. (2021)

R. Rb-Silva, C. Nobrega, C. Azevedo, E. Athayde, J. do Canto Gomes, I. Ferreira, R. Cheynier, A. Yates, A. Horta, M. Correia-Neves, “”Thymic Function As a Predictor of Immune Recovery in Chronically HIV-Infected Patients Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy””, Frontiers in Immuno (2019) 2: 25

B. Cerqueira-Rodrigues, A. Mendes, M. Correia-Neves, C. Nobrega, “”Ag85-focused T-cell immune response controls Mycobacterium avium chronic infection””, PLoS One (2018) 13(3): e0193596R.

Rb-Silva*, C. Nobrega*, E. Reiriz, S. Almeida, R. Sarmento-Castro, M. Correia-Neves, A. Horta, “”Toxoplasmosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome involving the central nervous system (CNS-IRIS): a case report with longitudinal analysis of T cell subsets””, BMC Infectious Disease (2017) 17: 66C.

R. Rb-Silva*, C. Nobrega*, E. Reiriz, S. Almeida, R. Sarmento-Castro, M. Correia-Neves, A. Horta, “”Toxoplasmosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome involving the central nervous system (CNS-IRIS): a case report with longitudinal analysis of T cell subsets””, BMC Infectious Disease (2017) 17: 66

Nobrega, A. Horta, V. Coutinho-Teixeira, A. Martins-Ribeiro, A. Baldaia, R. Rb-Silva, C. L. Santos, R. Sarmento-Castro, M. Correia-Neves, “”Longitudinal evaluation of regulatory T-cell dynamics on HIV-infected individuals during the first 2 years of therapy””, AIDS (2016), 30: 1175-85C. 7. Nunes-Alves, Nobrega, C, S.M. Behar, M. Correia-Neves, “Tolerance has its limits: how the thymus copes with infection”, Trends in immunology (2013) 34(10):502-510

Horta*, C. Nobrega*, P. Amorim-Machado, V. Coutinho-Teixeira, P. Barreira-Silva, S. Boavida, P. Costa, R. Sarmento-Castro, A. Gil Castro, M. Correia-Neves, “High percentage of regulatory CD4+ T cells associates with worse immune reconstitution in HIV-infected patients”, PLoS One (2013) 8(2): e57336.

Nobrega, S. Roque, C. Nunes-Alves, A. Coelho, I. Medeiros, A. G. Castro, R. Appelberg, M. Correia-Neves, “Dissemination of mycobacteria to the thymus renders newly generated T cells tolerant to the invading pathogen”, Journal of Immunology (2010), 184: 351.

Projects:
2023-Present (Principal Investigator), “Tcells@MS-Why are peripheral T cells less mature at Multiple Sclerosis clinical onset?”, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS) University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; Funder: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal.

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Projects

As Leader

The immune system in Multiple Sclerosis

This project aims to explore the immune system on multiple sclerosis pathophysiology and is divided in 3 branches:
– Tcells@MS. Our recent studies on newly diagnoses RRMS and PPMS patients…

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Projects

As Member