Mission
The mission of the Center for Drug Discovery and Innovative Medicines (MedInUP) at the University of Porto is:
- to translate discoveries made in the laboratory into bedside therapies and
- to mentor the next generation of researchers devoted to drug discovery.
The MedinUP is a research center of fundamental, translational-oriented and clinical pharmacologists aimed at fostering the development of better and safer medicines by exploring novel drug targets, unravelling new metabolic pathways and studying their interactions with living systems, grounded in pharmacogenomic and pharmacogenetic diversity, to boost pharmaceutical innovation and a personalized medicine.
Strategically placed at the intersection of established academic and industrial expertise, the Center for Drug Discovery and Innovative Medicines is designed to fulfil both scientific and commercial objectives.
MedInUP 2020-2023
The Center for Drug Discovery and Innovative Medicines (MedInUP), UIDB/04308/2020 is supported by:
Project Aim
The MedInUP major goal is to identify multidisciplinary disease-oriented research projects leading to cutting edge R&D programmes in drug discovery to bolster pharmaceutical innovation and personalized medicine. This is grounded on synergies created for long between core departments. Research in MedInUP is organized in the following interpenetrating topics:
- Integrative Cell Signalling and Functional Bio-imaging
- Drug Screening in Cellular and Animal Models
- Cell Therapy and Regenerative Pharmacology
- Innovation in Neuropsychiatric and Cardiometabolic Therapies
- Drug Targeting in Inflammation and Pain
- Drug Discovery, Biomarkers, and Translational Medicine
The MedInUP team of basic scientists, is grounded on a multidisciplinary team with specific interests on the prediction that cell-to-cell communication may be a key to control organ (dys)function, namely in what concerns (1) mechanosensing, pain and inflammation, (2) neuronal signalling, and (3) cardiovascular and renal homeostasis. Our aim is to identify purinome-based drug targets by manipulating mechanisms responsible for the release of ATP from excitable and non-excitable cells and the metabolic pathways leading to fine-tuning control of purinoceptors activation. The ultimate goal of our team is at identifying novel therapeutic targets for Parkinson’s disease and psychiatric disturbances focusing on the role of neuro-humoral pathways (sympathetic and dopaminergic regulation, purinergic neurotransmission/neuromodulation, stimulation of the endocannabinoid system, as well as the axis formed by RAAS and cyclooxygenase-derived mediators), sodium and amino acid sensing networks, oxidative stress and intracellular signalling.
The MedInUP team of translational scientists, includes a cohesive team that integrates scientists with medical background in internal medicine, rheumatology, gastroenterology, dermatology, neurology, psychiatry cardiology, clinical pharmacology and pharmaceutical medicine, working side by side with basic scientists, aim to translate basic science discoveries into novel therapeutic strategies, discover and validate new biomarkers, and implement a platform for emerging technologies (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and bioimaging) for clinical trial research. Research activity is focused in three major interconnected areas that concern (1) inflammation and tissue regeneration (mainly regarding bone, brain, cardiac, gut and skin), (2) neuropsychiatric therapies and (3) cardiometabolic therapies.
Project Results
The results are published in peer reviews articles, 38 in 2020, 45 in 2021 and 16 in 2022 (see "Recent Publications")