24-11-2025
João Pedro Nunes Carrilho presented his Master’s thesis entitled “Testing a New Glycosyltransferase Inhibitor forCancer Therapy,” developed within the Glycoimmunology Lab at the Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon. It is also part of GlycoTwinning project.
His research focused on key enzymes in the biosynthesis of Sialyl Lewis x (sLex), a glycan involved in cell adhesionand cancer metastasis. The study evaluated the molecular effects of novel inhibitors using gene expression analysisand flow cytometry in three cell models. The work revealed cell-specific responses, compensatory glycosylationmechanisms, and highlighted the unexpected impact of solvents on glycan regulation.
Overall, this thesis provides important insights into the complexity of glycosylation pathways and the challenges ofdeveloping targeted therapies for cancer.
Congratulations, João!
