L'Oreal Medal finds its way into i3S once again

Is it possible to regenerate the intervertebral discs of those suffering from chronic lower back pain through a pioneering process combining innovative technology and stem cell therapies? The researcher Joana Caldeira, from the group Microenvironments for New Therapies, is convinced that the answer is "yes" and it was with this project that she won one of the four L'Oréal Portugal Medals of Honor for Women in Science 2018.

Joana Caldeira wants to use the genetic editing technology CRISPR (CRISPR/Cas9) - a kind of DNA-based word processor that allows cells to be manipulated - to reactivate genes typical of the fetal microenvironment, thereby enhancing current stem cell regenerative therapies. "With this revolutionary technology we can create a welcoming environment for the stem cells used in the regeneration therapies of the disc, which will promote their accommodation and survival in the intended place", explains the researcher.

"Whether due to the natural aging process or to various traumas or genetic predisposition, low back pain caused by the degeneration of the intervertebral discs has a heavy socioeconomic impact due to the pain and incapacity caused, the absence of work and the therapeutic costs associated with them", underlines Joana Caldeira. Existing numbers and therapies demonstrate the urgency of finding new solutions: over 70% of the world's population is affected by lower back pain caused by degeneration of intervertebral discs and current treatments are not effective in the long term.

Effective treatment in this area would benefit millions of people by reducing the number of years of disability, as on average people spend longer suffering from degenerative disc diseases than for diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis, and lung cancer. It would also help to reduce annual global losses which, according to the researcher, are expected to be around EUR 150 billion per year, partly as a result of about 150 million days of sick leave.

The completion of this project, called CRISPR4DISC, "will be a significant step in the improvement of already promising stem cell therapies and will open doors to the first regenerative intervertebral disc therapy based on CRISPR technology. The results obtained will create the bases of pioneering clinical trials to reverse the current reality", says the researcher.

Researchers and PhDs between the ages of 30 and 35

Also rewarded in the 15th edition of the L'Oréal Medals were researchers Patrícia Costa Reis, pediatrician at the Santa Maria Hospital and professor at the University of Lisbon's Medical School, with a research project on lupus; Joana Cabral, researcher at the Institute of Life and Health at the University of Minho, who proposes to study brain networks; and Diana Madeira, a researcher at CESAM/ECOMARE at the University of Aveiro, with a project on life in the oceans.

The four young researchers, who have PhDs and are between the ages of 30 and 35, were selected among more than 70 candidates by a scientific jury, chaired by Alexandre Quintanilha. Each is recognized with an individual award of €15,000, which aims to support their research and motivate them to pursue relevant studies in the areas of health and the environment, as well as inspire a more scientific, inclusive, and equitable society.

"Portugal is making a positive contribution to equal opportunities and the recognition of women in the field of science, but there is still much to be done at the top. This award recognizes the merit and importance of these young scientists and serves as an incentive to continue to do science with quality", states Cátia Martins, CEO of L'Oréal Portugal. L'Oréal stresses that it "will continue to contribute in Portugal and in more than 120 countries where it is present, to challenge mentalities and promote gender equality in science".

It was to promote this change in science that the Portuguese initiative was born 15 years ago, promoted by L'Oréal in partnership with the UNESCO National Commission and the Foundation for Science and Technology. In Portugal, 49 young researchers have been funded. The same objective led to the creation of a global partnership between L'Oréal through its foundation and UNESCO, which 21 years ago was the foundation of the "For Women in Science" program.