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Oncology Translational Laboratory

The aim of the Oncology Translational Laboratory is to answer pressing questions from the Oncology practice, delivering tools that improve cancer outcomes.

Oncologists and other health care professionals are continuously exposed to clear unmet needs in cancer patients’ care. Tailored research in Oncobiology has an enormous potential to make a fast translation into clinical practice, by investigating clinically driven questions.

The multidisciplinary team of the laboratory combines the expertise and vision of Oncologists, Clinical Investigators and Oncobiologists, in association with a wide network of national and international collaborators, to prioritize patient-centered research. In close connection with the Oncology Division, the Clinical Research Center and START Lisbon, they use human tumor tissue and liquid biopsy samples (some of them included in different collections of the GIMM Biobank, in which we are actively involved) comprehensive clinical databases, advanced in vitro and in vivo models of solid tumors, state-of-the art research methods and computational biology (developing cutting-edge bioinformatic analyses in collaboration with national experts).

Oncology Translational Laboratory

Our research focuses on three key areas:

There is emerging evidence of increasing onset of breast cancer at an age below 40 years old. By analyzing epidemiological data, normal tissue, cancer tissue and liquid biopsies, our lab aims to understand this phenomenon, and identify new biomarkers and therapeutic targets to assist early diagnosis, prognostication and treatment of young women diagnosed with breast cancer. Our lab integrates the Breast Cancer in Young Women Foundation, being the reference international center for collective data analysis within the Foundation’s collaborative projects.

Sarcomas are an extremely heterogeneous oncologic entity, and most patients face a dismal prognosis. We aim to integrate genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and clinical variables, towards the analysis of one of the largest collections of sarcoma tissues. Our ultimate goal is to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers, to spot putative therapeutic targets, and to lay the foundations for drug discovery and development, contributing to an effective tailored management of patients with sarcomas. For that, we already established a research network, which includes, amongst others, other GIMM-Care Team Leaders as Sérgio Dias, the GIMM Biobank Team, and the IPO Lisbon.

Our lab can significantly enhance early-phase clinical trials by providing in-depth biological insights that guide drug development. Through the use of tumor samples, advanced biological models, liquid biopsy, and cutting-edge computational analyses, we aim to accelerate the evaluation of drug efficacy, refine patient selection, and facilitate early detection of therapeutic resistance, ensuring a more precise and efficient clinical trial process. Our focus is in the field of solid tumors, including breast and colorectal cancers, with a major focus on colorectal cancer at a young age.