A5037190302- Cellular Mechanics and Interactions
- Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Hippo pathway signaling and YAP/TAZ
- Zebrafish Biomedical Research Applications
- Wound Healing and Treatments
- Silk-based biomaterials and applications
- Neutrophil, Myeloperoxidase and Oxidative Mechanisms
- Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
- Congenital heart defects research
- Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
- Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
- Wnt/β-catenin signaling in development and cancer
- Cancer Cells and Metastasis
- Planarian Biology and Electrostimulation
- Axon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling
- Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities
- Immune Cell Function and Interaction
- Immune cells in cancer
- MicroRNA in disease regulation
- Cell Adhesion Molecules Research
- Animal Genetics and Reproduction
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- CAR-T cell therapy research
Universidade Nova de Lisboa
2016-2025
Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa
2023
University of Lisbon
2012-2022
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
2019
Morpho (United States)
2018
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência
2004-2015
Hospital de Egas Moniz
2006-2015
Ordem dos Médicos
2014
Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes
2006-2014
National Legal Medicine Institute
2006-2013
Members of the Hedgehog (Hh) family secreted proteins have been identified recently as key signaling molecules that regulate a variety inductive interactions central to development both Drosophila and vertebrates. Despite their widespread importance, way in which Hh signals are transduced inside cell remains poorly understood. The best candidate for transcription factor mediates is product cubitus interruptus (ci) gene, zinc finger protein exhibits significant homology products vertebrate...
Aa robust inflammatory response to tissue damage and infection is conserved across almost all animal phyla. Neutrophils macrophages, or their equivalents, are drawn the wound site where they engulf cell matrix debris release signals that direct components of repair process. This orchestrated migration clinically important, yet, date, leukocyte chemotaxis has largely been studied in vitro. Here, we describe a genetically tractable vivo model inflammation Drosophila melanogaster embryo...
Drosophila melanogaster hemocytes are highly motile macrophage-like cells that undergo a stereotypic pattern of migration to populate the whole embryo by late embryogenesis. We demonstrate migratory patterns at embryonic ventral midline orchestrated chemotactic signals from PDGF/VEGF ligands Pvf2 and -3 these directed migrations occur independently phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling. In contrast, using both laser ablation novel wounding assay allows localized treatment with...
The absence of tools for mapping the forces that drive morphogenetic movements in embryos has impeded our understanding animal development. Here we describe a unique approach, video force microscopy (VFM), allows detailed, dynamic maps to be produced from time-lapse images. at work an embryo are considered decomposed into active and passive elements, where originate contributions (e.g., actomyosin contraction) do mechanical system ones viscous cytoplasm) dissipate energy. In present...
Epithelial wound healing relies on tissue movements and cell shape changes. Our work shows that, immediately after wounding, there was a dramatic cytoskeleton remodeling consisting of pulse actomyosin filaments that assembled in cells around the edge flowed from to toward margin wound. We show this flow regulated by Diaphanous ROCK it elicited wave apical constriction culminated formation leading cable, structure is essential for closure. Calcium signaling played an important role process,...
The origin of cells that generate the blastema following appendage amputation has been a long-standing question in epimorphic regeneration studies. is thought to originate from either stem (or progenitor) or differentiated various tissues undergo dedifferentiation. Here, we investigate contribute zebrafish caudal fin skeletal elements. We provide evidence process lepidotrichia (bony rays) initiated as early 24 hours post-amputation and scleroblasts acquire proliferative state, detach...
Abstract Closure of wounds and gaps in tissues is fundamental for the correct development physiology multicellular organisms and, when misregulated, may lead to inflammation tumorigenesis. To re-establish tissue integrity, epithelial cells exhibit coordinated motion into void by active crawling on substrate constricting a supracellular actomyosin cable. Coexistence these two mechanisms strongly depends environment. However, nature their coupling remains elusive because complexity overall...
Telomerase activity is restricted in humans. Consequentially, telomeres shorten most cells throughout our lives. Telomere dysfunction vertebrates has been primarily studied inbred mice strains with very long that fail to deplete telomeric repeats during their lifetime. It is, therefore, unclear how telomere shortening regulates tissue homeostasis naturally short telomeres. Zebrafish have telomerase expression and human-like length. Here we show first-generation tert−/− zebrafish die...
Coupling immunity and development is essential to ensure survival despite changing internal conditions in the organism. Drosophila metamorphosis represents a striking example of drastic systemic physiological changes that need be integrated with innate immune system. However, nothing known about mechanisms coordinate cell activity transition from larva adult. Here, we reveal regulation macrophage-like cells (hemocytes) by steroid hormone ecdysone for an effective response over metamorphosis....
The zebrafish has the capacity to regenerate many tissues and organs. caudal fin is one of most convenient approach experimentally due its accessibility, simple structure fast regeneration. In this work we investigate how regenerative affected by recurrent amputations experimental manipulations that block regeneration.We show consecutive repeated do not reduce regeneration compromise any successive steps: wound healing, blastema formation outgrowth. Interfering with Wnt/ß-catenin signalling...
Persistent senescent cells (SCs) are known to underlie aging-related chronic disorders, but it is now recognized that SCs may be at the center of tissue remodeling events, namely during development or organ repair. In this study, we show two distinct senescence profiles induced in context a spinal cord injury between regenerative zebrafish and scarring mouse. Whereas progressively cleared out, they accumulate over time mice. Depletion spinal-cord-injured mice, with different senolytic drugs,...
Epithelia are vital tissues in multicellular organisms, acting as barriers between external and internal environments. Simple epithelia, such pg those embryos the adult gut, have remarkable ability to repair wounds efficiently, making them ideal for studying epithelial mechanisms. In these tissues, wound closure involves coordinated action of a contractile actomyosin cable at edge collective cell movements around wound. However, dynamics cell-cell interactions during this process remain...
Epithelial morphogenesis depends on coordinated changes in cell shape, a process that is still poorly understood. During zebrafish epiboly and Drosophila dorsal closure, cell-shape at the epithelial margin are of critical importance. Here evidence provided for conserved mechanism local actin myosin 2 recruitment during theses events. It was found embryo, movement outer epithelium (enveloping layer) over yolk surface involves constriction marginal cells. This within cytoplasm along enveloping...
During development, small RhoGTPases control the precise cell shape changes and movements that underlie morphogenesis. Their activity must be tightly regulated in time space, but little is known about how Rho regulators (RhoGEFs RhoGAPs) perform this function embryo. Taking advantage of a new probe allows visualisation RhoGTPase Drosophila, we present evidence Rho1 apically activated essential for epithelial invagination, common morphogenetic movement during embryogenesis. In posterior...
Zebrafish are able to regenerate many of its tissues and organs after damage. In amphibians this process is regulated by nerve fibres present at the site injury, which have been proposed release factors into amputated limbs/fins, promoting sustaining proliferation blastemal cells. Although some candidate mediate dependency regeneration, molecular mechanisms involved in remain unclear. We used zebrafish as a model system address role fin regeneration. developed protocol for pectoral...
Prediction of breast cancer response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (NACT) is an urgent need promptly direct non-responder patients alternative therapies. Infiltrating T lymphocytes, namely cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs) have been appointed as predictors response. However, cells the ability dampen CTLs' activity and thus, prognostic value CTLs, per se, debatable. Here, we disclose that more than occurrence it their activation state, revealed by HLA-DR expression, can accurately predict NACT. Flow...