Pulido Valente Science Prize 2018 awarded to two researchers

Joana Sacramento, a researcher at the Center for the Study of Chronic Diseases (CEDOC) at NOVA Medical School|Faculty of Medical Sciences in Lisbon, and Rúben Pereira, a researcher at i3S - Institute for Research and Innovation in Health at the University of Porto, are the winners of the Pulido Valente Science Prize 2018. The award ceremony will take place on March 7, at 6pm, at the Palácio das Laranjeiras, in Lisbon.

Joana Sacramento won an award for her article "Bioelectronic modulation of carotid sinus nerve activity in the rat: a potential therapeutic approach for type 2 diabetes", published in the journal Diabetologia in 2018. This study, led by Professor Sílvia Conde, aimed to evaluate the effect of a bioelectronic application on the carotid sinus nerve, the nerve that connects the carotid body to the brain, in diabetic rats. Bioelectronic modulation was tested by implanting electrodes in the carotid sinus nerve of animals with type 2 diabetes. These experiments showed that it is possible to restore insulin sensitivity and achieve glycemic control in these animals without significant side effects. This work opens the door to the development of a new therapy for type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects more and more people around the world.

"A single component hydrogel bioprinting of bioengineered 3D constructs for dermal tissue engineering" is the title of the article by researcher Rúben Pereira, who was also distinguished by the jury. In this work, the researcher developed a multidisciplinary strategy for the automatic manufacture of artificial substitutes and 3D in vitro skin models, using a combination of advanced biomaterials, 3D bioprinting and human cells. This study demonstrates the potential of a multidisciplinary strategy based on 3D bioprinting for the automatic manufacture of skin substitutes, which can be patient-specific and applied in regenerative medicine. It also allows the development of 3D in vitro models of the skin as fundamental tools for testing new products and therapies, as well as for better understanding the mechanisms that cells use in response to injury, whether chronic or acute, to promote the formation of new tissue.

The Pulido Valente Science Prize aims to distinguish the best article published in an area of Biomedical Sciences, describing the results of research carried out by a researcher under the age of 35 on the date of submission of the application, at a national R&D institution. Awarded annually, the prize is worth 10,000 euros and is co-funded by the Professor Francisco Pulido Valente Foundation and the Foundation for Science and Technology, in accordance with the protocol established between the two institutions.