creating a
healthier future
Maria João Saraiva
Group leader

Maria João Mascarenhas Saraiva received a BSc in biology from the University of Porto, Portugal, in 1976, and an MSc in Biochemistry from the University of London, in 1978. Between 1980 and 1984, she did a PhD in biochemistry at the University of Porto, and qualified as Professor of Biochemistry in 1991. She worked for different periods as a Visiting Scientist at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, New York. Maria J Saraiva was a Professor of Biochemistry at the Biomedical Institute; of Porto University and Director of the Molecular Neurobiology Group at the IBMC. Maria J Saraiva was awarded the Seiva Prize for Services to Science by the City of Porto, in 1996, and the Gulbenkian Prize in Science, in 2009. Recently, in 2019, she was awarded a national Medal from the Ministery of Science for Merrit in Science. She has published over 250 articles in peer reviewed journals, several reviews on the subject of Familial Amyloidotic Polyneuropathy and the Biology of Transthyretin and regularly delivers keynote lectures at international meetings on these subjects.h-index 68

Selected Publications

Teixeira C., Almeida M., Saraiva M.
Impairment of autophagy by TTR V30M aggregates: In vivo reversal by TUDCA and curcumin. Clinical Science130(18):1665-1675, 2016. [Journal: Article] [CI: 10] [IF: 4,9]
DOI: 10.1042/CS20160075 SCOPUS: 85014362637

Gomes J., Nogueira R., Vieira M., Santos S., Ferraz-Nogueira J., Relvas J., Saraiva M.
Transthyretin provides trophic support via megalin by promoting neurite outgrowth and neuroprotection in cerebral ischemia. Cell Death and Differentiation23(11):1749-1764, 2016. [Journal: Article] [CI: 45] [IF: 8,3]
DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2016.64 SCOPUS: 84982105742

Vieira M., Gomes J., Saraiva M.
Transthyretin Induces Insulin-like Growth Factor I Nuclear Translocation Regulating Its Levels in the Hippocampus. Molecular Neurobiology51(3):1468-1479, 2015. [Journal: Article] [CI: 19] [IF: 5,4]
DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-8824-4 SCOPUS: 84939882016

Gonçalves N., Teixeira-Coelho M., Saraiva M.
The inflammatory response to sciatic nerve injury in a familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy mouse model. Experimental Neurology257:76-87, 2014. [Journal: Article] [CI: 25] [IF: 4,7]
DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.04.030 SCOPUS: 84900864199

Gonçalves N., Vieira P., Saraiva M.
Interleukin-1 signaling pathway as a therapeutic target in transthyretin amyloidosis. Amyloid21(3):175-184, 2014. [Journal: Article] [CI: 38] [IF: 2]
DOI: 10.3109/13506129.2014.927759 SCOPUS: 84906229959

Teixeira A., Saraiva M.
Presence of N-glycosylated transthyretin in plasma of V30M carriers in familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy: An escape from ERAD. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine17(3):429-435, 2013. [Journal: Article] [CI: 14] [IF: 3,7]
DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.12024 SCOPUS: 84875784710

Misumi Y., Ando Y., Gonçalves N.P., Saraiva M.J.
Fibroblasts endocytose and degrade transthyretin aggregates in transthyretin-related amyloidosis. Laboratory Investigation93(8):911-920, 2013. [Journal: Article] [CI: 25] [IF: 3,8]
DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.2013.83 SCOPUS: 84881050634

Santos S.D., Lambertsen K.L., Clausen B.H., Akinc A., Alvarez R., Finsen B., Saraiva M.J.
CSF transthyretin neuroprotection in a mouse model of brain ischemia. Journal of Neurochemistry115(6):1434-1444, 2010. [Journal: Article] [CI: 65] [IF: 4,3]
DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.07047.x SCOPUS: 78650023374

Santos S., Fernandes R., Saraiva M.
The heat shock response modulates transthyretin deposition in the peripheral and autonomic nervous systems. Neurobiology of Aging31(2):280-289, 2010. [Journal: Article] [CI: 54] [IF: 6,6]
DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.04.001 SCOPUS: 71349088766

Cardoso I., Saraiva M.
Doxycycline disrupts transthyretin amyloid: Evidence from studies in a FAP transgenic mice model. FASEB Journal20(2):234-239, 2006. [Journal: Article] [CI: 139] [IF: 6,7]
DOI: 10.1096/fj.05-4509com SCOPUS: 33644919388

Teixeira P.F., Cerca F., Santos S.D., Saraiva M.J.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress associated with extracellular aggregates: Evidence from transthyretin deposition in familial amyloid polyneuropathy. Journal of Biological Chemistry281(31):21998-22003, 2006. [Journal: Article] [CI: 76] [IF: 5,8]
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M602302200 SCOPUS: 33746814859

Mendes Sousa M.M., Cardoso I., Fernandes R., Guimarães A., João Saraiva M.
Deposition of transthyretin in early stages of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy: Evidence for toxicity of nonfibrillar aggregates. American Journal of Pathology159(6):1993-2000, 2001. [Journal: Article] [CI: 320] [IF: 7,1]
DOI: 10.1016/S0002-9440(10)63050-7 SCOPUS: 0035180285

Sousa M.M., Yan S.D., Fernandas R., Guimarães A., Stern D., Saraiva M.J.
Familial amyloid polyneuropathy: Receptor for advanced glycation end products-dependent triggering of neuronal inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. Journal of Neuroscience21(19):7576-7586, 2001. [Journal: Article] [CI: 182] [IF: 8,2]
DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.21-19-07576.2001 SCOPUS: 0035478665

Sousa M.M., Norden A.G.W., Jacobsen C., Willnow T.E., Christensen E.I., Thakker R.V., Verroust P.J., Moestrup S.K., Saraiva M.J.
Evidence for the role of megalin in renal uptake of transthyretin. Journal of Biological Chemistry275(49):38176-38181, 2000. [Journal: Article] [CI: 100] [IF: 7,4]
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M002886200 SCOPUS: 0034624105

Longo Alves I., Hays M., Saraiva M.
Comparative stability and clearance of [Met30]transthyretin and [Met119]transthyretin. European Journal of Biochemistry249(3):662-668, 1997. [Journal: Article] [CI: 72] [IF: 3,1]
DOI: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1997.00662.x SCOPUS: 0030724162

Palha J.A., Episkopou V., Maeda S., Shimada K., Gottesman M.E., Saraiva M.J.M.
Thyroid hormone metabolism in a transthyretin-null mouse strain. Journal of Biological Chemistry269(52):33135-33139, 1994. [Journal: Article] [CI: 81]
SCOPUS: 0028596483

Mascarenhas Saraiva M.J., Birken S., Costa P.P., Goodman D.S.
Amyloid fibril protein in familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy, Portuguese type. Definition of molecular abnormality in transthyretin (prealbumin). Journal of Clinical Investigation74(1):104-119, 1984. [Journal: Article] [CI: 368]
DOI: 10.1172/jci111390 SCOPUS: 0021266985