Cancer Research

Team leader


Major interests


The mission of this research line is to identify novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.

The specific objectives are:
i) To discover new targets, biomarkers, and develop new strategies.
Research activities include: screening for mitotic targets using RNAi and CRISPR/Cas9 technologies; metabolic markers for tumor progression and drug resistance; laser treatment of oral potentially malignant disorders; development of functionalized nanoparticles for the incorporation of anticancer drugs; Definition of therapeutic drug monitoring methodologies of anti-cancer therapy.

ii) To understand the mechanism of tumor progression
Research activities include: role of miRNAs in mitotic signaling and its impact in cancer; role of tumor microenvironment in cancer aggressiveness; frequency of oral leucoplakias to cancer transformation and cell-cell attachment deregulation as potential underlying molecular risk factor; risk/benefit ratio of an early prophylactic therapy of tamoxifen.

iii) To promote public awareness and knowledge of cancer
Activities: Oral cancer preventive campaigns; 5 nights/5 films cinema and debate on chronic diseases; Scientific journeys to engage the public with scientific evidence.

Current Projects


Publications Highlights


Moreira J, Ribeiro D, Silva PMA, Nazareth N, Monteiro M, Palmeira A, Saraiva L, Pinto M, Bousbaa H, Cidade H. (2019). New Alkoxy Flavone Derivatives Targeting Caspases: Synthesis and Antitumor Activity Evaluation. Molecules 24(1), 129

Alves, A.; Correia-da-Silva, M.; Nunes, C.; Campos, J.; Sousa, E.; Silva, P.M.A.; Bousbaa, H.; Rodrigues, F.; Ferreira, D.; Costa, P.C.; Pinto, M. (2019). Discovery of a New Xanthone against Glioma: Synthesis and Development of (Pro)liposome Formulations. Molecules 2019, 24, 409.

Resende AD, Leal S, Batista-Pinto C, Garcez F, Sá SI.(2019). Hepatic effects of long‐term tamoxifen administration to cycling female rats. J Biochem Mol Toxicol. 2019. doi: 10.1002/jbt.22293

Pereira-Vieira, J., Azevedo-Silva, J., Preto, A., Casal, M., Queirós, O. (2019). MCT1, MCT4 and CD147 expression and 3-bromopyruvate toxicity in colorectal cancer cells are modulated by the extracellular conditions. Biological Chemistry, 0(0), pp. -. Retrieved 5 Feb. 2019, from doi:10.1515/hsz-2018-0411

Monteiro L, Alhassani M, Resende T, Albuquerque R. (2019). Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumour of the jaw: A rare presentation. J Stomatol Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2019 Feb 27. pii: S2468-7855(19)30062-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jormas.2019.02.017.

Silva PMA, Delgado ML, Ribeiro N, Florindo C, Tavares ÁA, Ribeiro D, Lopes C, Amaral BD, Bousbaa H, Monteiro LS (2019). Spindly and Bub3 expression in oral cancer: prognostic and therapeutic implications. Oral Dis. 2019;00:1–11 https://doi.org/10.1111/odi.13089

Pinto P, Machado CM, Moreira J, Almeida JDP, Silva PMA, Henriques AC, Soares JX, Salvador JAR, Afonso C, Pinto M, Bousbaa H, Cidade H (2019). Chalcone derivatives targeting mitosis: synthesis, evaluation of antitumor activity and lipophilicity. Eur J Med Chem. Vol.184:111752

Henriques AC, Ribeiro D, Pedrosa J, Sarmento B, Silva PMA, Bousbaa H. (2019). Mitosis inhibitors in anticancer therapy: When blocking the exit becomes a solution. Cancer Lett. 2019 Jan;440-441:64-81. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.10.005.

Monteiro L, Delgado ML, Garcês F, Machado M, Ferreira F, Martins M, Salazar F, Pacheco JJ. (2019). A histological evaluation of the surgical margins from human oral fibrous-epithelial lesions excised with CO2 laser, Diode laser, Er:YAG laser, Nd:YAG laser, electrosurgical scalpel and cold scalpel. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2019 Mar 1;24(2):e271-e280. doi: 10.4317/medoral.22819.

Teixeira, E. B., Santos, M. J., Ramos, B., Machado, J., & Criado, M. B. (2019). Acute effect of Korean hand acupuncture on neck pain: A randomized controlled preliminary study. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2019.100954

Pina-Cabral LB, Carneiro M, Criado B, Esteves PJ (2018). Maximum likelihood approach suggests positive selection in platelet integrin αIIbβ3 in mammalian species. Platelets. 2018 Apr 4:1-7.

Neves A.R., Correia-da-Silva M., Silva P.M.A., Ribeiro D., Sousa E., Bousbaa H. and Pinto, M. (2018). Synthesis of New Glycosylated Flavonoids with Inhibitory Activity on Cell Growth. Molecules 2018, 23(5), 1093.

Ribeiro A, Keat R, Khalid S, Ariyaratnam S, Makwana M, Pranto MD, Albuquerque R, Monteiro L. (2018). Prevalence of calcifications in soft tissues visible on a Dental Pantomogram: a retrospective analysis. J Stomatol Oral Maxillofac Surg. (In Press) doi: 10.1016/j.jormas.2018.04.014.

Silva MF, Ribeiro C, Gonçalves VMF, Tiritan ME, Lima Á. Liquid chromatographic methods for the therapeutic drug monitoring of methotrexate as clinical decision support for personalized medicine: A brief review. Biomed Chromatogr. 2018; 32(5):e4159.

Pena-Cristóbal M, Diniz-Freitas M, Monteiro L, Diz Dios P, Warnakulasuriya S. (2018) The 100 most cited articles on oral cancer. J Oral Pathol Med. 2018 Apr;47(4):333-344.

Tavares-Valente D, Granja S, Baltazar F, Queirós O. (2018). Bioenergetic modulators hamper cancer cell viability and enhance response to chemotherapy. J Cell Mol Med. 2018 May 29. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.13642. 

Monteiro L.S., Antunes L., Santos L.L., Bento M.J., Warnakulasuriya S. (2018). Ecancermedicalscience. 2018 Jul 31;12:855.

F. Monteiro, J., Hahn, S; Gonçalves, J; Fresco, P (2018). Vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring and population pharmacokinetic models in special patient subpopulations. Pharmacol Res Perspect, Jul; 6 (4).

Henriques, A., Ribeiro, D., Sarmento, B., Silva, P.M.A., Bousbaa, H. (2018). Mitosis inhibitors in anticancer therapy: when blocking the exit becomes a solution. Cancer Letters, vol. 440–441 (64-81)

Leal, S., Rocha, L., Silva, A., Faria, J. Dinis-Oliveira, R.J., & Sá, S.I. (2018). Evaluation of progressive hepatic histopathology in long-term tamoxifen therapy. Pathol. - Research and Practice (in press). DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2018.09.030

Pina Cabral, LB; Carvalhais, V; Mesquita, B; Escórcio, C; Silva, PF; Pinto, P; Napoleão, P; Pinheiro, T; Monteiro, MC; Almeida-Dias, A; & Criado, B (2018). Myocardial infarction before and after the age of 45: Possible role of platelet receptor polymorphisms. Rer Port Cardiol 37(9):727-735.

Monteiro LS., Albuquerque R., Paiva A., de la Peña-Moral J., Amaral JB., & Lopes CA. (2017). A comparative analysis of oral and maxillofacial pathology over a 16-year period, in the north of Portugal. Int Dent J. 67:38-45.

Nascimento AV., Singh A., Bousbaa H., Ferreira D., Sarmento B., & Amiji M. (2017). Overcoming Cisplatin Resistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with Mad2 Silencing siRNA Delivered Systemically using EGFR-Targeted Chitosan Nanoparticles. Acta Biomaterialia 47:71-80.

Silva PM., Ribeiro N., Lima RT., Andrade C., Diogo V., Teixeira J., Florindo C., Tavares Á., Vasconcelos MH., & Bousbaa H (2017). Suppression of spindly delays mitotic exit and exacerbates cell death response of cancer cells treated with low doses of paclitaxel. Cancer Letters 394:33-42.

Costa Leite J, Keating E, Pestana D, Cruz Fernandes V, Maia ML, Norberto S, Pinto E, Moreira-Rosário A, Sintra D, Moreira B, Costa A, Silva S, Costa V, Martins I, Castro Mendes F, Queirós P, Peixoto B, Carlos Caldas J, Guerra A, Fontoura M, Leal S, Moreira R, Palmares Carvalho I, Matias Lima R, Martins C, Delerue-Matos C, Almeida A, Azevedo L, Calhau C (2017). Iodine Status and Iodised Salt Consumption in Portuguese School-Aged Children: The Iogeneration Study. Nutrients. 2017; 5;9(5).

Monteiro LS., Delgado ML., Ricardo S., do Amaral B., Salazar F., Pacheco JJ., Lopes CA., Bousbaa H., & Warnakulasuryia S. (2016). Prognostic significance of CD44v6, p63, podoplanin and MMP-9 in oral squamous cell carcinomas. Oral Dis. May.22(4):303-12.

Teixeira J.H., Silva P., Faria J., Ferreira I., Duarte P., Delgado M.L., Queirós O., Moreira R., Barbosa J., Lopes C.A., Amaral J.B., Monteiro L.S., & Bousbaa H. (2015). Clinicopathologic significance of BubR1 and Mad2 overexpression in oral cancer. Oral Disease 21, pp. 713-20.

  

Cancer Research Team


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