BIOSKETCH
João Nuno Moreira, PhD
João Nuno Moreira received his B.Sc. in Pharmaceutical of Sciences, M.Sc. in
Cellular Biology and Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Technology from the University of Coimbra.
During his graduate studies has spent three years at the Department of Pharmacology,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
At present, is Assistant
Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Principal Investigator at the Center for
Neuroscience and Cell Biology (Department of Vectors and Gene Therapy), University of
Coimbra.
Scientific activity is focused on the design of lipid-based nanoparticles for drug and
nucleic acid targeted delivery, namely towards cancer.
Scientific competences include
formulation and characterization of lipid nanovesicles, in vitro mechanistic studies, in vitro
cytotoxicity, biodistribution, and therapeutic testing in animal models of human disease. Has
experience in coordination of funded research projects as principal investigator and
participates as co-investigator in several funded research projects, within academia as well
as in collaboration with pharmaceutical industry. Over the years has supervised Ph. D.
students, Master students, Research Fellows or undergraduate students. He is author/coauthor of several scientific publications, which include papers published in peer-reviewed
journals, book chapters, one patent (pending), oral communications or posters presented in
scientific meetings.
Selected publications:
•
Santos, A. O., Gomes da Silva, L. C., Bimbo, L. M., Pedroso de Lima, M. C., Simões S.,
Moreira, J. N., Design of peptide-targeted liposomes containing nucleic acids.
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 1798(3):433-441 (2010).
•
Mendonça, L., Firmino, F., Moreira, J. N., Pedroso de Lima, M. C., Simões S.,
Transferrin receptor-targeted liposomes encapsulating anti-BCR-ABL siRNA or asODN
for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia treatment. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 21(1): 157-168
(2010).
•
Cardoso, A., Trabulo, S., Moreira, J. N., Nejat Düzgüneş, N., Pedroso de Lima, M. C.,
Targeted lipoplexes for siRNA delivery, in Elsevier (ed.), Methods in Enzymology,
465:267-87 (2009).
•
Moreira, J. N., Santos, A., Bimbo, L. M., Gomes da Silva, L. C., Pedroso de Lima, M. C.,
Simões, S., Gene silencing therapy in small cell lung cancer – which agents, targets,
and delivery systems? In Nova Science Publishers (ed.), Small-Cell Carcinomas:
Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment, Chapter 1, p. 1-51, (2009).
•
Moreira, J. N., Santos A., Moura, V., Pedroso de Lima, M. C., Simões S., Non-viral lipidbased nanoparticles for cancer systemic gene silencing. Journal of Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology, May; 8:2187–2204 (2008).