A5046379632- Connexins and lens biology
- Extracellular vesicles in disease
- Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
- Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Heat shock proteins research
- Cardiac Ischemia and Reperfusion
- Cellular transport and secretion
- Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias
- Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Treatments
- Retinal Diseases and Treatments
- Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Disease
- Heme Oxygenase-1 and Carbon Monoxide
- Ubiquitin and proteasome pathways
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- Cardiovascular Effects of Exercise
- Calpain Protease Function and Regulation
- MicroRNA in disease regulation
- Calcium signaling and nucleotide metabolism
- Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
- Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Diseases
- Cardiac Fibrosis and Remodeling
- Photoacoustic and Ultrasonic Imaging
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Ocular Diseases and Behçet’s Syndrome
University of Coimbra
2016-2025
Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Coimbra
2020-2024
Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering
2023
Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona
2021-2023
Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image
2005-2017
Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular
2017
Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra
2014
Faculty (United Kingdom)
2013
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
2008
Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging
2005
Myocardial infarction (MI) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide results from an obstruction in blood supply to a region heart. In attempt replenish oxygen nutrients deprived area, affected cells release signals promote development new vessels confer protection against MI. However, mechanisms underlying growth ischaemic scenario remain poorly understood. Here, we show that cardiomyocytes subjected ischaemia exosomes elicit angiogenic response endothelial (ECs).Exosomes...
Abstract Long COVID has become a world-wide, non-communicable epidemic, caused by long-lasting multiorgan symptoms that endure for weeks or months after SARS-CoV-2 infection already subsided. This scientific document aims to provide insight into the possible causes and therapeutic options available cardiovascular manifestations of long COVID. In addition chronic fatigue, which is common symptom COVID, patients may present with chest pain, ECG abnormalities, postural orthostatic tachycardia,...
Exosomes are extracellular vesicles of endosomal origin that released by practically all cell types across metazoans. active vehicles intercellular communication and can transfer lipids, RNAs, proteins between different cells, tissues, or organs. Here, we describe a mechanism whereby containing KFERQ motif pentapeptide loaded into subpopulation exosomes in process is dependent on the membrane protein LAMP2A. Moreover, demonstrate this independent ESCRT machinery but HSC70, CD63, Alix,...
Abstract Intercellular communication is vital to ensure tissue and organism homeostasis can occur directly, between neighbour cells via gap junctions (GJ), or indirectly, at longer distances, through extracellular vesicles, including exosomes. Exosomes, as intercellular carriers of messenger molecules, mediate the transfer biological information donor acceptor cells. Although effects exosomes in target have been intensively studied, mechanisms that govern exosomal uptake are not fully...
The transcription factor HIF1 is mostly regulated by the oxygen-dependent proteasomal degradation of labile subunit HIF1A. Recent data showed HIF1A in lysosome through chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA). However molecular mechanism involved has not been elucidated. This study shows that KFERQ-like motif, identified all CMA substrates, required to mediate interaction between and chaperone HSPA8. Moreover, mutations motif preclude with receptor LAMP2A, thus inhibiting its lysosomal...
Different pathways contribute to the turnover of connexins, main structural components gap junctions (GJs). The cellular pool connexins targeted each pathway and functional consequences degradation through these degradative are unknown. In this work, we focused on contribution macroautophagy connexin degradation. Using pharmacological genetic blockage both in vitro vivo, found that by autophagic system is primarily one organized into GJs. Interruption connexins' resulted their retention at...
Abstract Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy is a selective form of autophagy. Recently, the degradation newly identified CMA substrate, HIF1A transcription factor, was found to be regulated by ubiquitin ligase STUB1. In this study we show, for first time, that K63 ubiquitination necessary in vitro and vivo . Additionally, STUB1 mediates linked HIF1A. Our findings add new regulatory step increase specificity molecular mechanism involved HIF1A, expanding role yet another biological process, since...
Abstract Cardiovascular diseases represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality, necessitating research to improve diagnostics, discover test novel preventive curative therapies, all which warrant experimental models that recapitulate human disease. The translation basic science results clinical practice is challenging task, in particular for complex conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, often result from multiple risk factors comorbidities. This difficulty might lead some...
Abstract Retinal degenerative diseases, including diabetic retinopathy (DR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), loom as threats to vision, causing detrimental effects on the structure function of retina. Central understanding these is compromised state blood-retinal barrier (BRB), an effective that regulates influx immune inflammatory components. Whether BRB breakdown initiates retinal distress, or a consequence disease progression, remains enigmatic. Nevertheless, it indication...
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are major conveyors of biological information, mediating local and systemic cell‐to‐cell communication under physiological pathological conditions. These endogenous have been recognized as prominent drug delivery vehicles several therapeutic cargoes, including doxorubicin (dox), presenting advantages over the classical approaches. Although dox is one most effective anti‐tumour agents in clinical practice, its use very often hindered by consequent dramatic...
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH), a multifactorial and progressive condition associated with an increased afterload right ventricle leading to heart failure death. The main aim this study was correlate levels miR-424(322) severity prognosis PH hypertrophy progression. Additionally, we intended evaluate mechanisms signalling pathways whereby secreted by arterial endothelial cells (PAECs) impacts cardiomyocytes.Using quantitative...
The feasibility of bacterial cellulose (BC) as a novel substrate for retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) culture was evaluated. Thin (41.6 ± 2.2 μm average thickness) and heat-dried BC substrates were surface-modified via acetylation polysaccharide adsorption, using chitosan carboxymethyl cellulose. All characterized according to their surface chemistry, wettability, energy, topography, also regarding permeability, dimensional stability, mechanical properties, endotoxin content. Then, ability...
In this study we demonstrate that ischemia-induced impairment of intercellular communication between cardiomyocytes is due to the degradation gap junction protein Connexin43 by autophagy, which according severity insult involves different molecular partners.
Sprouting angiogenesis, where new blood vessels grow from pre-existing ones, is a complex process biochemical and mechanical signals regulate endothelial cell proliferation movement. Therefore, mathematical description of sprouting angiogenesis has to take into consideration biological as well relevant physical processes, in particular the interplay between adjacent cells extracellular microenvironment. In this work, we introduce first phase-field continuous model capable predicting sprout...