She received an honorable mention for the Crodowaldo Pavan Award in the area of Mutagenesis, Cytotoxicity, and Genotoxicity, for her study supervised by Professor and researcher Ana Lúcia Fachin.

The research was developed by members of the Molecular Genetics and Bioinformatics Group, led by Professors Ana Lúcia Fachin and Mozart de Azevedo Marins, coordinator of the Graduate Program in Biotechnology at Unaerp.

ABOUT THE PROJECT - Breast cancer can be worsened by the occurrence of metastases, which is when the tumor spreads to other organs, accounting for over 90% of deaths from the disease, explains the student. In this context, various studies have focused on developing new compounds effective in interrupting the metastatic process, such as curcumin, derived from turmeric.

However, this component has reduced absorption in the human body. To address this issue, researchers have been working on creating curcumin analogs with modified chemical structures.

The research, highlighted at the Congress, shows that the analog is more effective than curcumin, primarily due to the increased expression of genes involved in the metastatic process.

The student emphasizes the importance of the award at the Congress, one of the most significant events in the field of Genetics that encompasses various health specialties. “The work was chosen for oral presentation and selected for the honorable mention, reinforcing the relevance of the research and its importance, offering promising perspectives for therapeutic approaches to breast cancer treatment.”

For the coordinator of the Graduate Program in Biotechnology, Professor Mozart de Azevedo Marins, the honorable mention “reflects the quality of the projects within the research group and the quality of education offered to students in the Graduate Program in Biotechnology at Unaerp, with encouragement for participation in Congresses, support for publications, and internships in Brazil and abroad.”