Where Ideas Grow
Ceu Figueiredo
Microbes & Cancer
Group leader

Ceu Figueiredo, PhD, is a Group Leader at i3S/Ipatimup and an Associate Professor at the Department of Pathology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto. Her research has been dedicated to studying the pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori infection, namely the epidemiology and clinical relevance of H. pylori virulence factors, and the interaction between bacterial virulence factors and human genetic susceptibility to gastric carcinoma. She is investigating the role of H. pylori virulence factors in the outcome of the infection, using clinical specimens and patient cohorts; and the role of H. pylori in epithelial cell responses and underlying signaling pathways relevant to gastric carcinoma development, using in vitro models and validation in clinical specimens. More recently, she has been studying the human gastric microbiota using next-generation sequencing of samples from the stomach of patients with different lesions. As of December 2022, she has published 123 peer-reviewed papers and nine book chapters, and has two international patents. She has an h-index of 43 and her work has been cited more than 7.100 times. She has coordinated and participated in several major research projects, including national projects funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Agency for Innovation, Ministry of Health, and Gulbenkian Foundation, and in international projects funded by the European Commission (FP6, H2020, and Horizon Europe), ERA-NET Pathogenomics, and the Worldwide Cancer Research.

 

Selected Publications

Ferreira R.M., Pereira-Marques J., Pinto-Ribeiro I., Costa J.L., Carneiro F., MacHado J.C., Figueiredo C.,
Gastric microbial community profiling reveals a dysbiotic cancer-associated microbiota. Gut67(2):226-236, 2018. [Journal: Article] [CI: 404] [IF: 17,9]
DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2017-314205 SCOPUS: 85043251326.


Pereira-Marques J., Hout A., Ferreira R.M., Weber M., Pinto-Ribeiro I., Van Doorn L.J., Knetsch C.W., Figueiredo C.,
Impact of host DNA and sequencing depth on the taxonomic resolution of whole metagenome sequencing for microbiome analysis. Frontiers in Microbiology10(JUN):, 2019. [Journal: Article] [CI: 95] [IF: 4,2]
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01277 SCOPUS: 85069196942.


Marques M.S., Melo J., Cavadas B., Mendes N., Pereira L., Carneiro F., Figueiredo C., Leite M.,
Afadin downregulation by helicobacter pyloriInduces epithelial to mesenchymal transition in gastric cells. Frontiers in Microbiology9(NOV):, 2018. [Journal: Article] [CI: 19] [IF: 4,3]
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02712 SCOPUS: 85056637997.


Figueiredo C., Constanza Camargo M., Leite M., Fuentes-Pananá E.M., Rabkin C.S., Machado J.C.,
Pathogenesis of gastric cancer: Genetics and molecular classification. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology400:277-304, 2017. [Book Series: Book Chapter] [CI: 97] [IF: 5,8]
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-50520-6_12 SCOPUS: 85010908079.


Tegtmeyer N., Wessler S., Necchi V., Rohde M., Harrer A., Rau T.T., Asche C.I., Boehm M., Loessner H., Figueiredo C., Naumann M., Palmisano R., Solcia E., Ricci V., Backert S.,
Helicobacter pylori Employs a Unique Basolateral Type IV Secretion Mechanism for CagA Delivery. Cell Host and Microbe22(4):552-560.e5, 2017. [Journal: Article] [CI: 107] [IF: 17,9]
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2017.09.005 SCOPUS: 85032499302.


Santos R.S., Figueiredo C., Azevedo N.F., Braeckmans K., De Smedt S.C.,
Nanomaterials and molecular transporters to overcome the bacterial envelope barrier: Towards advanced delivery of antibiotics. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews136-137:28-48, 2018. [Journal: Review] [CI: 89] [IF: 15,5]
DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2017.12.010 SCOPUS: 85041129800.


Santos R.S., Dakwar G.R., Zagato E., Brans T., Figueiredo C., Raemdonck K., Azevedo N.F., De Smedt S.C., Braeckmans K.,
Intracellular delivery of oligonucleotides in Helicobacter pylori by fusogenic liposomes in the presence of gastric mucus. Biomaterials138:1-12, 2017. [Journal: Article] [CI: 26] [IF: 8,8]
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.05.029 SCOPUS: 85019640517.


Ferreira R.M., Pinto-Ribeiro I., Wen X., Marcos-Pinto R., Dinis-Ribeiro M., Carneiro F., Figueiredo C.,
Helicobacter pylori cagA promoter region sequences influence CagA expression and interleukin 8 secretion. Journal of Infectious Diseases213(4):669-673, 2016. [Journal: Article] [CI: 37] [IF: 6,3]
DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiv467 SCOPUS: 84960172758.


Costa A.M., Ferreira R.M., Pinto-Ribeiro I., Sougleri I.S., Oliveira M.J., Carreto L., Santos M.A., Sgouras D.N., Carneiro F., Leite M., Figueiredo C.,
Helicobacter pylori activates matrix metalloproteinase 10 in gastric epithelial cells via EGFR and ERK-mediated pathways. Journal of Infectious Diseases213(11):1767-1776, 2016. [Journal: Article] [CI: 41] [IF: 6,3]
DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiw031 SCOPUS: 84978646526.


Durães C., Muñoz X., Bonet C., García N., Venceslá A., Carneiro F., Peleteiro B., Lunet N., Barros H., Lindkvist B., Boutron-Ruault M.C., Bueno-De-Mesquita H.B., Rizzato C., Trichopoulou A., Weiderpass E., Naccarati A., Travis R.C., Tjønneland A., Gurrea A.B., Johansson M., Riboli E., Figueiredo C., González C.A., Capellà G., MacHado J.C., Sala N.,
Genetic variants in the IL1A gene region contribute to intestinal-type gastric carcinoma susceptibility in European populations. International Journal of Cancer135(6):1343-1355, 2014. [Journal: Article] [CI: 12] [IF: 5,1]
DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28776 SCOPUS: 84904044227.


Machado A.M.D., Desler C., Bøggild S., Strickertsson J.A.B., Friis-Hansen L., Figueiredo C., Seruca R., Rasmussen L.J.,
Helicobacter pylori infection affects mitochondrial function and DNA repair, thus, mediating genetic instability in gastric cells. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development134(10):460-466, 2013. [Journal: Article] [CI: 38] [IF: 3,5]
DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2013.08.004 SCOPUS: 84888138484.


Costa A.M., Leite M., Seruca R., Figueiredo C.,
Adherens junctions as targets of microorganisms: A focus on Helicobacter pylori. FEBS Letters587(3):259-265, 2013. [Journal: Review] [CI: 29] [IF: 3,3]
DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2012.12.008 SCOPUS: 84872942923.


Machado A.M.D., Figueiredo C., Seruca R., Rasmussen L.J.,
Helicobacter pylori infection generates genetic instability in gastric cells. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Reviews on Cancer1806(1):58-65, 2010. [Journal: Review] [CI: 79] [IF: 9,9]
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2010.01.007 SCOPUS: 77953718630.


Ferreira R.M., Figueiredo C., Bonet C., Pardo M.L., Liso J.M.R., Alonso P., Sala N., Capella G., Sanz-Anquela J.M., González C.A.,
Helicobacter pylori vacA intermediate region genotyping and progression of gastric preneoplastic lesions. American Journal of Gastroenterology107(1):145-146, 2012. [Journal: Letter] [CI: 13] [IF: 7,6]
DOI: 10.1038/ajg.2011.389 SCOPUS: 84855428342.


Ferreira R.M., Machado J.C., Letley D., Atherton J.C., Pardo M.L., Gonzalez C.A., Carneiro F., Figueiredo C.,
A novel method for genotyping the Helicobacter pylori vacA intermediate region directly in gastric biopsy specimens. Journal of Clinical Microbiology50(12):3983-3989, 2012. [Journal: Article] [CI: 39] [IF: 4,1]
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.02087-12 SCOPUS: 84869213164.


González C.A., Figueiredo C., Lic C.B., Ferreira R.M., Pardo M.L., Ruiz Liso J.M., Alonso P., Sala N., Capella G., Sanz-Anquela J.M.,
Helicobacter pylori cagA and vacA genotypes as predictors of progression of gastric preneoplastic lesions: A long-term follow-up in a high-risk area in Spain. American Journal of Gastroenterology106(5):867-874, 2011. [Journal: Article] [CI: 108] [IF: 7,3]
DOI: 10.1038/ajg.2011.1 SCOPUS: 79955601017.


Machado A.M.D., Figueiredo C., Touati E., Máximo V., Sousa S., Michel V., Carneiro F., Nielsen F.C., Seruca R., Rasmussen L.J.,
Helicobacter pylori infection induces genetic instability of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA in gastric cells. Clinical Cancer Research15(9):2995-3002, 2009. [Journal: Article] [CI: 121] [IF: 6,7]
DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-08-2686 SCOPUS: 65649154690.


Oliveira M.J., Costa A.M., Costa A.C., Ferreira R.M., Sampaio P., Machado J.C., Seruca R., Mareei M., Figueiredo C.,
CagA associates with c-met, E-cadherin, and p120catenin in a multiproteic complex that suppresses helicobacter pylori-induced cell-invasive phenotype. Journal of Infectious Diseases200(5):745-755, 2009. [Journal: Article] [CI: 79] [IF: 5,9]
DOI: 10.1086/604727 SCOPUS: 67649120160.


Machado J.C., Figueiredo C., Canedo P., Pharoah P., Carvalho R., Nabais S., Castro Alves C., Campos M.L., Van Doorn L.J., Caldas C., Seruca R., Carneiro F., Sobrinho-Simões M.,
A proinflammatory genetic profile increases the risk for chronic atrophic gastritis and gastric carcinoma. Gastroenterology125(2):364-371, 2003. [Journal: Article] [CI: 443] [IF: 12,7]
DOI: 10.1016/S0016-5085(03)00899-0 SCOPUS: 0042667008.


Oliveira M.J., Costa A.C., Costa A.M., Henriques L., Suriano G., Atherton J.C., Machado J.C., Carneiro F., Seruca R., Mareel M., Leroy A., Figueiredo C.,
Helicobacter pylori induces gastric epithelial cell invasion in a c-Met and type IV secretion system-dependent manner. Journal of Biological Chemistry281(46):34888-34896, 2006. [Journal: Article] [CI: 86] [IF: 5,8]
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M607067200 SCOPUS: 33845953709.


Figueiredo C., Machado J.C., Pharoah P., Seruca R., Sousa S., Carvalho R., Capelinha A.F., Quint W., Caldas C., van Doorn L.J., Carneiro F., Sobrinho-Simões M.,
Helicobacter pylori and interleukin 1 genotyping: An opportunity to identify high-risk individuals for gastric carcinoma. Journal of the National Cancer Institute94(22):1680-1687, 2002. [Journal: Article] [CI: 564] [IF: 14,5]
DOI: 10.1093/jnci/94.22.1680 SCOPUS: 0037146297.