Na clinical research category, the award was given to Rita Fior for a test using models derived from zebrafish to “accurately predict the response of colorectal cancer patients to available treatments.”
In the basic research category, the prize went to Henrique Veiga-Fernandes, who discovered that the immune system, besides fighting infections, is involved in regulating blood sugar levels, paving the way for new therapies for diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
The Pfizer Awards, totaling 60,000 euros, annually recognize two scientific works developed at Portuguese institutions in the field of health sciences — one in basic research and another in clinical research. These awards are sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, which funds them, and the Lisbon Society of Medical Sciences, which appoints the panel that evaluates the applications.
Biologist Rita Fior developed a method where “small tumor tissue samples” taken from each patient “are implanted in transparent zebrafish embryos,” creating models that “reproduce the tumor’s evolution and its response to different therapies.”
In a clinical study with 55 colorectal cancer patients, the method showed a precision rate close to 90%, “providing oncologists with a new tool for medical decision-making and avoiding ineffective therapies or unnecessary adverse effects.”
Immunologist Henrique Veiga-Fernandes, who used mice as a model, “demonstrates for the first time the existence of a nervous-immune-hormonal circuit that regulates energy production and the maintenance of blood glucose levels.”
During periods of fasting or increased energy demand, like physical exercise, a type of immune cell known as ILC2 (type 2 innate lymphoid cells) migrates from the intestine to the pancreas, stimulating the release of the hormone glucagon, which “signals the liver to generate glucose from internal reserves, ensuring the continuous supply of energy to body cells.”
Established in 1956, the Pfizer Awards are the oldest scientific recognition in Portugal.
