The search for means/strategies that may subserve or enhance orthodontic movement is a current reality. Mechanical vibration and photobiomodulation (PBM) are non-invasive methods that can be applied with orthodontic treatment (OT) in order to increase the tooth movement rate, although the fundamental basis of its mechanisms of action and its predictable use remain unclear. It is well known that during OT, several therapeutic steps may lead to the following temporary alterations: reduced mouth opening, reduced bite force (BF), chewing performance interferences and appearance of muscle or joint pain. In this project we will focus on the biomechanics of clear aligners (CA) technique. We aim to understand the biomechanics involved in orthodontic tooth movement and to evaluate the possible effect of vibration and PBM on the acceleration of orthodontic tooth movement, by using customized medical devices. We also intend to verify the performance of mastication, pain pressure threshold in chewing muscles, and the incidence of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs), when using current orthodontic treatments such as CA in healthy individuals, without any previous signs or symptoms of TMDs.

Xanthone derivatives and flavonoids demonstrated great potential in diverse biological activities. They are interesting chemical building blocks for preparation of new derivatives with association with chiral moieties allowing to enlarge the chemical diversity and to explore the role of the molecular stereochemistry. This work aim to synthesize a new library of chiral derivatives of xanthones (CDXs) and flavonoids (CDFs) by coupling to enantiomerically pure amino alcohols, amines, proteinogenic amino esters and amino acids. Diverse biological activities of the CDXs and CDFs will be evaluated comprising, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and antitumor. Resistance to treatment associated with cancer therapy is often caused by the expression of efflux pumps in cancer cells, we will determine if these compounds are P-glycoprotein (Pgp) substrates, by using a MDR1-transformant yeast as host. Furthermore, their effectiveness on tumor cells will be studied through high-throughput assays of viability. As the bioenergetic deregulation is one of the emergent cancer hallmarks, their effect on metabolic parameters like lactate and glucose will also be assessed.

Tramadol and tapentadol are synthetic opioid analgesics widely used in the treatment of moderate to severe pain, both in acute and chronic settings. Their mechanism of action combines mu-opioid receptor agonism and neurotransmitter reuptake inhibition, acting synergistically to optimize analgesia and minimize side effects. However, adverse reactions, including serotonin syndrome and respiratory depression, have been reported, and their abuse potential has not been fully established. Since they are frequently used in a chronic context, often concomitantly with other drugs, the evaluation of their abuse, genotoxic and carcinogenic potential becomes relevant. The present study aims to evaluate the abuse potential of therapeutic doses of both opioids, sub-chronically administered to Wistar rats. Abuse- and anxiety-oriented behavioral studies, including conditioned place preference studies, will be performed upon intraperitoneal injection with tramadol, tapentadol, in single or combined administrations with naloxone, fluoxetine and MDMA. In addition, the putative genotoxic and carcinogenic effect of both opioids will be assessed by quantifying 8-OHdG levels in the same animals.

These projects are related to the presence of pollutants such as mycotoxins (MT) in the environment as well as adverse effects related to exposure to pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs (PID). MT are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi that colonize various foods products. Because of their carcinogenicity the occurrence of these substances in foods is relatively well studied. However, there are few studies that report the occurrence of MT in environmental matrices and in Portugal there are not studies about the occurrence of MT in sediments. Concerning PID they were recognized as emerging environmental contaminants. The knowledge of the impact of PID and its metabolites on living organisms is scarce, but crucial for accurate risk assessment. Thus, the objective of this project is to finalize the occurrence studies of MT in environmental matrices and to evaluate the adverse effects of PID in several organisms with environmental relevance.