The two winners among 79 nominations, the first edition of the Santa Casa de Neurosciences Award, awarded by the Mercy of Lisbon, were announced on Thursday.
One of the awards, the Prix Melo e Castro, worth 200 thousand euros, aims to promote the discovery of potential therapeutic solutions for those affected by traumatic vertebro-medullary injuries. Was assigned to the team led by Antonio Salgado, the Institute for Research in the Life Sciences and Health, University of Minho, for its plan to develop a therapeutic team that will integrate various approaches so far used alone, for “some impact on quality of life “of patients with congenital or acquired lesions of the spinal cord.
More precisely, the scientists explain in the presentation of their project, the work will be to combine the administration of anti-inflammatory and an enzyme that reduces the “scar” caused by the injury, and the implant at the site of injury, the hydrogels which are encapsulated in stem cells (to help regenerate tissues), and cells of the olfactory mucosa (to promote shell formation, whose main ingredient is a protein called myelin, which is of nerve fibers and allows the transmission of signals between neurons).
Scientists must carry out studies in animals to allow on the one hand to improve the results obtained with the drug, and secondly, the effectiveness of hydrogel, which they intend to add further biological substances that promote the migration of nerve fibers and neuronal differentiation.
The other award, the Prix Mantero Belard also 200 thousand euros, aims to promote scientific and clinical research of neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging, such as Alzheimer’s disease. In this first edition, the award includes a research project on Huntington’s disease developed by Ana Rego team from the Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra. This genetic, hereditary and incurable disease is caused by a defect in a protein called huntingtin that progressively destroys parts of the brain gene – namely the cortex, the outer layer of the brain responsible for human intellectual functions – bringing its victims to insanity and death.
Scientists studying
intend a potential mechanism responsible for neurodegeneration characteristic of this disease: the so-called “oxidative stress” – which produces, among other toxic to neurons free radicals – caused by malfunction of mitochondria (the “battery” of cells ). To animal studies, which involve brain imaging techniques, it will follow, the scientists explain in the abstract of your project, magnetic resonance analyzes of the brains of people in presymptomatic and symptomatic Huntington states, “to study the impact oxidative stress on the functions of “brain circuits affected by the disease.
Award Mantero Belard owes its name to the benefactor who, in 1974, left to the mercy of Lisbon a significant portion of its assets, with the obligation, namely, to provide three distinct annual monetary awards, prizes Nunes Correa Truths Faria, intended to reward the people who have contributed to the care of the elderly unprotected, to developments in medicine for the elderly and for the treatment of heart disease.
In turn, the Prix Melo e Castro owes its name to the old provider of Santa Casa da Misericordia de Lisboa and former Undersecretary of State for assistance, which, in 1955, planned a project aimed at the treatment of disabled . On his initiative, was launched in 1966, the Rehabilitation Center Alcoitão in Cascais.
The jury of awards, chaired by neurosurgeon John Lobo Antunes, integrates scientific figures such as Alexander Quintanilla (former director of the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto), Paulo Correia de Sá (University of Porto), Catarina Resende de Oliveira (Universidade de Coimbra), Jorge Laíns (Portuguese Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine), Jose Pimentel (Portuguese Society of Neurology), Rui Costa (Portuguese Society for Neuroscience and the Champalimaud Foundation) and even George Perry, University of Texas , world specialist of Alzheimer’s disease.
The Mercy of Lisbon has as scientific partners in new premiums universities of Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra, the Portuguese Society of Neurology, the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience and the Portuguese Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine.
ceremony awards ceremony took place on Thursday in the late afternoon at the Pavilion Meo Arena in Lisbon.
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