RG11: Reno-Vascular Diseases

The multidisciplinary RG11 includes nephrologists, cardiologists and internists, from hospitals associated with NOVA Medical School, and also pharmacologists and biochemists, focused in the kidney and its role in the pathogenesis of TL2: Cardio-Metabolic Disorders, aiming to improve diagnosis and treatment options (haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, transplantation, drugs).

Specific aims:

1. Reducing cardiovascular mortality in haemodialysis and kidney transplanted patients with particular emphasis in manipulation of the Ca++ PO4-- Mg++ buffer system and decreasing vascular calcifications (Nolasco, Ferreira, Adragão);
2. Reducing arterial hypertension, targeting the changes in renal sympathetic nervous system and the deleterious effect of ischemia-reperfusion cycles in the kidney, characteristic of sleep apnoea or chronic intermittent hypoxia conditions (Monteiro, Almeida, Branco, Gonçalves);
3. Identifying new molecular biomarkers of tubular damage and repair common to several comorbidities, eg. HIV infection, xenobiotic and diabetes (Pereira, Soto)
4. Improving the results of peritoneal dialysis, analysing histomorphological features of peritoneal biopsies and metabolomics of the effluent (Branco, Cabral, Fontao)
5. Using metabolomics to improve the diagnosis and treatment of antibody mediated rejection in renal transplantation (Viana, Nolasco, Aires, Ramalhete, Calado, Trindade)
6.  Diagnosis and treatment of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, using Eculizumab specifically in transplantation of patients with HUS (Calado, Nolasco, Viana)

Other interests: therapeutic (drug and device) interventions, eg. effects of cholecalciferol and magnesium phosphate binder in reducing vascular calcifications; chronic consequences of ablation of renal sympathetic nervous system; pharmacological manipulation of hypertension secondary to sleep apnea, prospective follow up on diabetic nephropathy.

Keywords: Vessel calcification; Peritoneal dialysis; Kidney transplantation; Chronic intermittent hypoxia

Latest Publications

Almeida AS, Soares NL, Sequeira CO, Pereira SA, Sonnewald U, Vieira HLA (2018) Improvement of neuronal differentiation by carbon monoxide: Role of pentose phosphate pathway. Redox Biology 17:338-347

Gorgulho R, Jacinto R, Lopes SS, Pereira SA, Tranfield EM, Martins GG, Gualda EJ, Derks RJE, Correia AC, Steenvoorden E, Pintado P, Mayboroda OA, Monteiro EC, Morello J (2018) Usefulness of zebrafish larvae to evaluate drug-induced functional and morphological renal tubular alterations. Archives of Toxicology 92(1):411-423

Nunes SC, Ramos C, Lopes-Coelho F, Sequeira CO, Silva F, Gouveia-Fernandes S, Rodrigues A, Guimarães A, Silveira M, Abreu S, Santo VE, Brito C, Félix A, Pereira SA, Serpa J (2018) Cysteine allows ovarian cancer cells to adapt to hypoxia and to escape from carboplatin cytotoxicity. Scientific Reports 8(1):9513

Nunes SC, Lopes-Coelho F, Gouveia-Fernandes S, Ramos C, Pereira SA, Serpa J (2018) Cysteine boosters the evolutionary adaptation to CoCl2 mimicked hypoxia conditions, favouring carboplatin resistance in ovarian cancer. BMC Evolutionary Biology 18(1):97

Pite H, Pimenta L, Henriques AC, Marques I, Camarinha C, Lourenco AV, Almeida I, Borrego LM, Morais-Almeida M (2018) Lower airway flow influences peak nasal inspiratory flow in school-aged children. Rhinology 56(3):288-296