Ecogenetics and Human Health – Instituto de Saúde Ambiental

Manuel Bicho
Head
manuelbicho@medicina.ulisboa.pt

The research group Ecogenetics and Human Health is structured according to five research lines, namely ‘Behavioural genetics and environment’, ‘Environment and genetics of cardiovascular disorders and cancer’, ‘Environment and genetics of endocrine and metabolic diseases’, ‘Iron metabolism in human diseases’ and ‘Metabolic syndrome: Obesity and environment’.

The main focus of this research group is to understand how environmental factors interact with the individual’s genetic pool and vice-versa, modulating health risk. The research addresses leading behavioural factors acting on this complex interaction (diet, and tobacco, alcohol and coffee consumption), along with several other environmental factors (e.g. light and noise passible to modify genetic expression at the signal transduction level). Environmental exposure to virus can equally affect the immune response, which in turn is genotipically defined and variable, being also taken into account.

This research group aims essentially to undertake a differential analysis of intermediate and distant phenotypes according to Mendelian randomization (genetic polymorphisms) in interaction with physical, dietary and microbiological environmental factors.

Research areas

Iron Metabolism in Human Diseases
Microbiome, Innate Immunity and Genetic Variation
Nutrigenetics, Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes
Environment and Longevity
Environment and Osteoporosis/Sarcopenia as Metabolic Diseases
Environment and Genetics in Cardiovascular Disorders and Cancer
Behavioural Genetics, Exercise and Environment
Evolutionary Biology, Environment and Human Diseases
Microenvironment, Genetics Variation and Cancer
Prenatal Environment, Fetal Programing and Consequences at Short and Medium Term of Human Diseases
Endocrine Tumors and Signaling

Team members

Selected publications

2021

Aguiar, L., Ferreira, J., Matos, A., Mascarenhas, M. R., Falcão, L. M., Faustino, P., ... & Inácio, Â. (2021). Interplay between glycemia and the genetics of eNOS and ACE for the susceptibility to the onset and development of hypertension on the Portuguese population. Gene Reports, 22, 100975.

Aguiar, L., Semente, I., Ferreira, J., Carvalho, A., Silva, A. P., Caroça, C., ... & Bicho, M. (2021). Differences in the genotype frequencies of genes related to blood pressure regulation-a comparative study between South-West Europe and Peri-equatorial Africa. African Health Sciences, 21(4), 1669-76.

Almeida, A. C., Borrego, L. M., Brízido, M., de Figueiredo, M. B., Teixeira, F., Coelho, C., & Teixeira, S. (2021). DIGIROP efficacy for detecting treatment-requiring retinopathy of prematurity in a Portuguese cohort. Eye, 1-7.

Almeida, A. C., Sandinha, T., Azevedo, R., Brízido, M., Figueiredo, M., Coelho, C., & Teixeira, S. (2021). Retrospective comparison between growth and retinopathy of prematurity model versus WINROP model. Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology.

Almeida, A. C., Silva, G. A., Santini, G., Brízido, M., Correia, M., Coelho, C., & Borrego, L. M. (2021). Correlation between hyperglycemia and glycated albumin with retinopathy of prematurity. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1-7.

Almeida, A., Bitoque, D. B., Martins, C., Coelho, C., Borrego, L. M., & Silva, G. A. (2021). Serum levels of placental growth factor reflect the severity of retinopathy of prematurity. Acta Paediatrica, 110(10), 2778-2779.

Barbosa, M., Matos, A., Bicho, M., & Falcão, L. M. (2021). Gal-3 y ST2 como biomarcadores: un paso al frente en el pronóstico de la Insuficiencia Cardíaca. Galicia Clínica, 82(3), 146-151.

Espaillat, A., Coelho, C., Batista, M. J. M., & Perez, O. (2021). Predictors of photic phenomena with a trifocal IOL. Clinical Ophthalmology (Auckland, NZ), 15, 495.

Faria, M., Domingues, R., Bugalho, M. J., Matos, P., & Silva, A. L. (2021). MAPK Inhibition Requires Active RAC1 Signaling to Effectively Improve Iodide Uptake by Thyroid Follicular Cells. Cancers, 13(22), 5861.

Faria, M., Domingues, R., Bugalho, M. J., Silva, A. L., & Matos, P. (2021). Analysis of NIS Plasma Membrane Interactors Discloses Key Regulation by a SRC/RAC1/PAK1/PIP5K/EZRIN Pathway with Potential Implications for Radioiodine Re-Sensitization Therapy in Thyroid Cancer. Cancers, 13(21), 5460.

Gomes, A. P., Germano, A., Sousa, M., Martins, R., Coelho, C., Ferreira, M. J., ... & Nunes, V. (2021). Preoperative color Doppler ultrasound parameters for surgical decision-making in upper arm arteriovenous fistula maturation. Journal of Vascular Surgery, 73(3), 1022-1030.

Matos, A., Carvalho, M., Bicho, M., & Ribeiro, R. (2021). Arginine and Arginases Modulate Metabolism, Tumor Microenvironment and Prostate Cancer Progression. Nutrients, 13(12), 4503.

Pessoa, B., Leite, J., Heitor, J., Coelho, J., Monteiro, S., Coelho, C., ... & Melo-Beirão, J. N. (2021). Vitrectomized versus non-vitrectomized eyes in diabetic macular edema response to ranibizumab—retinal layers thickness as prognostic biomarkers. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1-10.

Pessoa, B., Malheiro, L., Carneiro, I., Monteiro, S., Coelho, J., Coelho, C., ... & Beirão, J. N. M. (2021). Intravitreal Ranibizumab or Aflibercept After Bevacizumab in Diabetic Macular Edema: Exploratory Retrospective Analysis. Clinical Ophthalmology (Auckland, NZ), 15, 253.

Pessoa, B., Marques, J. H., Leite, J., Silva, N., José, D., Coelho, C., ... & Melo-Beirão, J. N. (2021). Choroidal Blood Flow After Intravitreal Ranibizumab in Vitrectomized and Non-Vitrectomized Eyes with Diabetic Macular Edema. Clinical Ophthalmology (Auckland, NZ), 15, 4081.

Rocha-Rodrigues, S., Matos, A., Afonso, J., Mendes-Ferreira, M., Abade, E., Teixeira, E., ... & Ribeiro, R. (2021). Skeletal Muscle–Adipose Tissue–Tumor Axis: Molecular Mechanisms Linking Exercise Training in Prostate Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(9), 4469.

Rodrigues-Manica, S., Silva, J., Cruz-Machado, R., Coelho, C., Duarte, J., Vieira-Sousa, E., ... & Pimentel-Santos, F. M. (2021). Biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and patient-reported outcomes in axial SpA: a systematic review and a call for action. Clinical Rheumatology, 40(1), 33-41.

Silva, M., Coelho, A., Vargas, S., & Faustino, P. (2021). VCAM1, HMOX1 and NOS3 differential endothelial expression may impact sickle cell anemia vasculopathy. Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases, 102639.

Bicho, M., Neves, M., Santos, A.C., Ferreira, J., Raposo, J.F., & Valente, A. (2021). Relação do polimorfismo da DRD2 com biomarcadores lipídicos e a suscetibilidade para DMT2. Revista Portuguesa Endocrinologia, Diabetes & Metabolism, 16, 46-47.

2020

2019