16-12-2025
Margarida defended her master’s thesis, titled "Assessment of Biological Action of New Drug Candidates with Potential Immune Checkpoint Activity for Cancer Treatment." This work was developed within the Glycoimmunology Lab in the Department of Life Sciences at NOVA School of Science and Technology. The research explored new molecules to target cancer glycans and the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint axis, towards the development of advanced cancer treatments.
The work explored how specific lectins, due to their ability to selectively recognize tumor-associated glycans, have emerged as promising alternatives to existing therapies. The thesis focused on two main aspects: (i) Evaluating the antitumor potential of three red algae lectins - Solieria filiformis lectin (SFL), Meristiella echinocarpa lectin (MEL), and Amansia multifida lectin (AML) and (ii) Investigating their capacity to modulate PD1-PD-L1 axis imune checkpoint interactions through glycan recognition.
Margarida’s work demonstrated that SFL exhibited the strongest cytotoxic activity by inducing apoptosis in lung carcinoma cells, while MEL and AML showed weaker effects, likely due to lower affinity for tumour-associated glycans. Importantly, SFL displayed moderate binding to glycans decorating the PD-L1 molecule, also suggesting potential interference with the PD[1]1/PD-L1 axis and highlighting its promise as an immune-modulating agent.
Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the biological actions of lectins and small molecules on tumor cells and underscores their potential as alternative or complementary strategies in cancer therapy.
Congratulations, Margarida!