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 until 2024. Since 2025 she is Senior Researcher of the Biomolecular Structure and Function group at i3S. 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 for Merrit in Science from the Ministery of Science and in 2024 the Merlini Award for Excellence in Research from the International Society of Amyloidosis. She has published over 250 articles in peer reviewed journals, several reviews on the subject of Familial Amyloidotic Polyneuropathy and the Biology of Transthyretin. h-index 68.
Selected Publications
The Expression of Chemokines Is Downregulated in a Pre-Clinical Model of TTR V30M Amyloidosis. Frontiers in Immunology12:, 2021. [Journal: Article] [CI: 3] [IF: 8,8]
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.650269 SCOPUS: 85107221502
Maia L.F., Maceski A., Conceição I., Obici L., Magalhães R., Cortese A., Leppert D., Merlini G., Kuhle J., Saraiva M.J.
Plasma neurofilament light chain: an early biomarker for hereditary ATTR amyloid polyneuropathy. Amyloid27(2):97-102, 2020. [Journal: Article] [CI: 41] [IF: 7,1]
DOI: 10.1080/13506129.2019.1708716 SCOPUS: 85077877879
Gomes J.R., Sárkány Z., Teixeira A., Nogueira R., Cabrito I., Soares H., Wittelsberger A., Stortelers C., Macedo-Ribeiro S., Vanlandschoot P., Saraiva M.J.
Anti-TTR Nanobodies Allow the Identification of TTR Neuritogenic Epitope Associated with TTR-Megalin Neurotrophic Activities. ACS Chemical Neuroscience10(1):704-715, 2019. [Journal: Article] [CI: 5] [IF: 4,5]
DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00502 SCOPUS: 85055702609
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: 49] [IF: 8,3]
DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2016.64 SCOPUS: 84982105742
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: 39] [IF: 2]
DOI: 10.3109/13506129.2014.927759 SCOPUS: 84906229959
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: 55] [IF: 6,6]
DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.04.001 SCOPUS: 71349088766
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: 69] [IF: 4,3]
DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.07047.x SCOPUS: 78650023374
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: 78] [IF: 5,8]
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M602302200 SCOPUS: 33746814859
Cardoso I., Merlini G., Saraiva M.
4′-iodo-4′-deoxydoxorubicin and tetracyclines disrupt transthyretin amyloid fibrils in vitro producing noncytotoxic species: Screening for TTR fibril disrupters. FASEB Journal17(8):803-809, 2003. [Journal: Article] [CI: 117] [IF: 7,2]
DOI: 10.1096/fj.02-0764com SCOPUS: 0038375018
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: 186] [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: 101] [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
Saraiva M., Costa P., Goodman D.
Biochemical marker in familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy, Portuguese type. Family studies on the transthyretin (prealbumin)-methionine-30 variant. Journal of Clinical Investigation76(6):2171-2177, 1985. [Journal: Article] [CI: 102]
DOI: 10.1172/JCI112224 SCOPUS: 0022338373
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: 372]
DOI: 10.1172/jci111390 SCOPUS: 0021266985