Seminário DF Departamento de Física proferido pelo Prof. Dr. Hugo Miguel Baptista Carreira dos Santos no dia 12 de Junho às 14:00 na Sala Manuel Laranjeiro - Edifício I

Seminário DF
Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campus da Caparica, Portugal
Sala Manuel Laranjeiro - Edifício I
12 de Junho de 2024 às 14h
From Routine Blood Analysis to Cancer Detection: The Transformative Role of Clinical Mass Spectrometry in Diagnostics.

Prof. Dr. Hugo Miguel Baptista Carreira dos Santos BIOSCOPE Research Group, Department of Chemistry, NOVA FCT, and Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States

Abstract: Mass spectrometry (MS) has revolutionised the field of clinical diagnostics, particularly in quantifying blood and solid tumour proteins. This technology has been pivotal in enhancing the accuracy and specificity of various diagnostic assays. In a recent study, we employed the total protein approach (TPA) based on high-resolution MS to delve deeper into renal neoplasms, a group oftumours with shared characteristics that often pose diagnostic challenges. Utilising frozen tissue biopsies from various renal neoplasms and normal adjacent renal tissue as a control, we identified 205 differentially expressed proteins. A panel of 24 proteins were pinpointed as potential biomarkers to differentiate these neoplasms. Notably, proteins such as PLIN2, TUBB3, LAMP1, and HK1 were validated using semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry, underscoring their diagnostic potential1. This study exemplifies the power of high-resolution MS combined with TPA in advancing the pathology of renal neoplasms and suggests broader applications in clinical diagnostics. As we progress, the integration of MS in clinical settings holds immense potential, promising to bridge the gap between research and its real-world applications, offering novel insights into disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. Hugo Miguel Santos Bio:

HM Santos began his career in Proteomics in 2007, embarking on a joint PhD program in Biochemistry at NOVA University Lisbon (Portugal) and the Turku Centre for Biotechnology
(Finland) focusing on MALDI-TOF-MS for protein identification. After completing his PhD, Santos took up a post-doc at the University of Vigo, then moved to the Institute for Biomedicine and Biotechnology in Barcelona, Spain (2011–2012). Here, he advanced biomedical applications of Mass Spectrometry (MS) and Imaging-MS. In 2013, he joined FCT-NOVA in Portugal, where he developed interdisciplinary research using nano-proteomics, supramolecular separation, MS, and computational methods—his work in the early detection of pathologies and reliable disease screening. Santos's career took a significant turn in 2016 when he was awarded the prestigious FCT Investigator Starting Grant. He led the implementation of label-free MS-based quantitative proteomics methods to investigate diseases such as renal cell carcinoma, bladder cancer, and neurodegeneration. Also, in 2016, Santos secured private competitive funding to set up the state-of the-art mass spectrometry facility (https://www.bioscopegroup.org/facility/). Equipped with high-resolution instruments, this facility is at the forefront of identifying and characterising molecules involved in complex biological processes, impacting pharmaceutical research and drug development. Santos's research and infrastructure have attracted students from Spain, Brazil, Uruguay, Italy, Ireland, and UAE. Over the last few years, he has mentored numerous students, including eight PhD and 14 Master's students, fostering international collaboration and academic excellence. Santos is also a member of Talanta's editorial advisory board and has been a guest editor for several special issues in various journals. Among his over 100 peer-reviewed papers and 15 editorial papers, a notable publication in Communications Medicine from Nature (Commun Med 3, 8 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-023-00238-4) stands as a testament to his significant contributions to mass spectrometry and proteomics in precision medicine.