Researchers from the Cancer Genetics Group at IPO Porto, in collaboration with the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Porto (ICBAS), have uncovered a key singaling pathway driving the aggressiveness of prostate tumors that overexpress ETV1. The team found that simultaneous activation of the EGFR and STAT3 signaling pathways fuels the…
Lopes-Bastos et al. report that melanoma in zebrafish initiates without telomerase (or ALT) activation. However, in late progression, telomerase becomes essential for sustained tumor growth. Tumors that fail to re-activate telomerase slow down growth and even regress. This occurs due to tumor-autonomous (genomic instability) and non-tumor-autonomous (immune response) mechanisms. Highlights • Melanoma initiation and early…
A groundbreaking international study has provided critical insights into the role of CTNNA1 gene variants in hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC), revealing new associations with cancer risk and paving the way for improved genetic testing and clinical management of affected individuals. The study involved 56 researchers and clinicians from 9 countries, from the European and…
Tubo-ovarian carcinoma remains a leading cause of gynaecological-related mortality and continues to lack robust preclinical models that accurately reflect its biological heterogeneity. Through a joint effort between Gulbenkian Institute of Molecular Medicine and CUF Descobertas Hospital, the research team established patient-derived organoids from high- and low-grade serous carcinoma, as well as normal fallopian tube. Despite…
A pioneering study conducted in Central Portugal, by the former ARS Centro in partnership with Infogene, now published in the European Journal of Public Health, showed that integrating HPV self-sampling kits with personalized reminder strategies significantly increased participation among women who had not been screened for more than four years. This approach proved to be…
Researchers from the Epigenetics & Cancer Biology Group at the IPO Porto Research Center, in collaboration with the Pathology and Clinical Pathology Services, have developed an algorithm to improve the screening of women who test positive for HPV infection in the Population Cervical Cancer Screening Program implemented in the Northern region of the country. Based…
A team from the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health at the University of Porto (i3S), led by Salomé Pinho, has discovered a new strategy to make (CAR-)T cell therapies more effective against solid tumors. The findings were published in Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). The…
Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a rare and heterogeneous group of malignant tumors, which makes their diagnosis and treatment particularly challenging. Available treatments remain largely ineffective for many patients, leading to disease progression and low survival rates. Interestingly, although immunotherapy has its origins in sarcomas, for decades it was believed that these tumors were “cold,”…
Authors and Affiliations:Ana Raquel-Cunha1,2, Joana Pinheiro1,2, Rui F. Marques1,2, Patrícia Fontão1,2, Diana Cardoso-Carneiro1,2, Adriana Mendes1,2, Izabela N. F. Gomes3, Ana Carolina Laus3, Renato J. da Silva-Oliveira3, Rui Manuel Reis1,2,3, Olga Martinho1,2 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; 2 ICVS/3Bs-PT Government Associate Laboratory,…
Radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer represents a major clinical challenge, with limited therapeutic options and a poor prognosis. Lenvatinib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, is approved as first-line treatment for differentiated thyroid cancer refractory to radioactive iodine (RAIR-DTC), and has demonstrated significant efficacy in clinical trials as well as in real-world settings. In this review article, the authors…