One of the best doctoral theses in cancer is from the i3S
Diana Pádua, former student of the Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences at ICBAS, whose research was developed at i3S under the guidance of researcher Raquel Almeida, leader of the Differentiation & Cancer group, was awarded one of the two “Best PhD Thesis” awards given by the journal Cancers.
Building on previous studies indicating that cancer stem cells are involved in the initiation, progression, metastasis, recurrence, and resistance to therapy of tumours, meaning that these cells are essential therapeutic targets, Diana Pádua focused her doctoral work in the study of the molecular mechanisms that regulate stomach cancer stem cells to try to understand how they are related to resistance to therapy and the patient’s prognosis.
In general, explains the researcher, “the results presented in this thesis provide new information for a better understanding of the characteristics, behaviour and impact of cancer stem cells on the development and treatment of stomach cancer. We were also able to identify new biomarkers of these stomach cancer stem cells and potential therapeutic agents such as monensin, which can selectively attack these cells and which, therefore, could represent a valuable therapeutic weapon against stomach cancer”.
For Diana Pádua, winning this award was “very important on a personal and professional level. It represents international recognition for the work I developed throughout my doctorate and gives me even more confidence to continue researching this interesting and intriguing topic that is cancer stem cells”.
During her research work, Diana Pádua published several articles in scientific journals, namely Cancers, Current Oncology, and Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology.
About the Cancers Best PhD Thesis Award
The Cancers Best PhD Thesis Award, worth around 800 euros, is awarded annually with the aim of recognizing two young scholars who have completed the most notable doctoral theses in the field of oncology and to encourage the continuation of their research work. The candidate must be a doctoral student or a recent doctorate who has produced a thesis with great academic potential.