New in Vitro Models: alternatives to animal models in research

Sandra Tenreiro is the Head of the Degeneration and Ageing Research Group and an Assistant Professor at NOVA Medical School. Her research focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in the context of age-related retinal diseases, using in vitro models such as retinal organoids.Sandra Tenreiro leads the COST Action Retina4Future (CA25105), which aims to accelerate translational research in the field of retinal diseases, and coordinates the Twinning project MPS_NOVA, dedicated to advanced microphysiological systems and pluripotent stem cell technologies for studying chronic disease mechanisms and host–microbe interactions.She is particularly committed to exploring alternative models to traditional animal-based research methods. She also collaborates closely with ophthalmologists and is actively involved in clinical studies (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06355830).Sandra Tenreiro is the inventor of a patent currently under examination (PT118368 / EU 22217331.2).She holds a BSc in Biochemistry (1993), an MSc in Cell Biology (1995) from the University of Coimbra, and a PhD in Biotechnology (2001) from Instituto Superior Técnico.

After graduating with a degree in Biology from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon in 1999, Maria Guadalupe Cabral completed her PhD at Instituto Superior Técnico, where she investigated mechanisms of stress resistance. In 2007, she joined NOVA Medical School as a postdoctoral researcher in Immunology and has served as an Invited Assistant Professor at the same institution since 2012. More recently, she was appointed Principal Investigator, establishing the Translational Tumour Immunology Research Group at NOVA Medical School.Her research focuses on understanding the immune response to cancer, with the aim of identifying predictive and prognostic biomarkers and developing novel immune-based therapeutic strategies, particularly for breast cancer. By combining molecular, cellular and translational approaches, her group seeks to bridge fundamental immunology and clinical applications, contributing to the development of more effective cancer immunotherapies.Guadalupe Cabral is the author or co-author of 37 scientific publications and three book chapters and has recently filed a patent highlighting the translational potential of her research. Her work has been recognised through several awards and distinctions in the fields of cancer biology and immunology.In addition to her research activities, Maria Guadalupe Cabral is actively involved in academic teaching, having supervised and co-supervised several PhD and Master's students. She continues to foster strong collaborations with clinicians to advance translational studies aimed at improving the treatment of breast cancer.