The project is focused on the discovery of new chemical entities for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), including its main pathologic outcome the non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
The research is sustained by two European projects (FOIE GRAS, H2020MSCA-ITN- Bioenergetic Remodeling in the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and mtFOIE GRAS, MSCA-RISE- Non-invasive Profiling of Mitochondrial Function in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease) and a national project PTDC/DTP-FTO/2433/2014 – MitoBOOST: A Next-Generation Therapeutics for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Based on Smart Antioxidant Delivery to Mitochondria. The international and national networks ensure the mandatory biological screenings and in vivo assays needed for the rational drug discovery project.
Selected publications
- Teixeira J, Oliveira C, Amorim R, Cagide F, Garrido J, Ribeiro J, Pereira CM, Silva AF, Andrade PB, Oliveira PJ, Borges F. Development of hydroxybenzoic-based platforms as a solution to deliver dietary antioxidants to mitochondria. Sci Rep. 2017; 7(1):6842.
- Teixeira J, Cagide F, Benfeito S, Soares P, Garrido J, Baldeiras I, Ribeiro JA, Pereira CM, Silva AF, Andrade PB, Oliveira PJ, Borges F. Development of a Mitochondriotropic Antioxidant Based on Caffeic Acid: Proof of Concept on Cellular and Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Models. J Med Chem. 2017; 60(16):7084-7098.
- Teixeira J, Oliveira C, Cagide F, Amorim R, Garrido J, Borges F, Oliveira PJ. Discovery of a new mitochondria permeability transition pore (mPTP) inhibitor based on gallic acid. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem. 2018; 33(1):567-576.