Gilead GENESIS honours i3S researcher
Researchers and haematologist Delfim Duarte, from the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health at the University of Porto (i3S), was honoured at the 11th edition of the Gilead GÉNESE Program. The award ceremony took place on 11 March at the Centro Cultural de Belém in Lisbon. The prize, valued at €37,500, will support the development of a project to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy in aggressive B-cell lymphomas.
As part of the project "Modulating immune transendothelial migration to enhance immunotherapy in B-cell lymphoma", the researcher will conduct an in-depth study of the interactions between cancer cells and the blood vessels responsible for recruiting lymphocytes – a type of white blood cell responsible for producing antibodies and helping to fight infections.
The research uses animal models and advanced techniques, such as multiphoton microscopy, to visualise, in real time, the behaviour of tumour cells in their native environment.
According to the leader of the Hematopoiesis and Microenvironments group and visiting professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), this award represents “an opportunity to explore a new strategy for enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas”, highlighting the clinical importance of finding alternatives for tumors that often do not respond to existing treatments.
Delfim Duarte also notes that the project offers the added benefit of a collaboration between i3S and IPO Porto, within the framework of the Porto Comprehensive Cancer Centre Raquel Seruca, enabling validation of laboratory findings in patient samples.
This year, the Gilead GÉNESE Programme selected 10 projects from 47 national applications in oncology and virology, awarding a total of €300,000 in funding. Established in 2013, the program has supported more than 130 scientific and community initiatives, making it one of the most significant platforms for stimulating health research in the country.
