The research project led by Cecília Rodrigues, a Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon and a Researcher at iMed.Ulisboa, has been awarded significant funding from Caixa Research for the development of a new therapy against hepatic steatosis—fatty liver disease—associated with metabolic dysfunction (MASLD), the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, which already affects one in three people globally.
This disease is characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver and is related to obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Despite efforts made over the past few decades, only one treatment has recently been approved to combat it.
The current project focuses on a protein that has been little studied so far, the RIPK3 kinase, which has been identified as a mediator of necroptosis, a type of programmed cell death involved in the development of MASLD. The aim is to develop a new therapy targeting this kinase.
To achieve this, the researchers propose a new approach that combines two phases: an initial phase where computational tools, AI for molecule design, and advanced synthesis will be used, and a second phase where a preclinical evaluation of the treatment’s safety and efficacy in animal models will take place.
