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We are pleased to announce the publication of our latest review article, "Drugging p53 mutants: Recent advances using small-molecule modulation strategies," in the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in targeting mutant p53 proteins through small-molecule modulation strategies. It explores the molecular mechanisms underlying these approaches, highlights key developments that have shaped the field, and d

We are delighted to welcome Rita a Ciência Viva student from High-school to our laboratory, where she has the opportunity to experience scientific research firsthand and discover what life in a research environment is really like. Programs such as Ciência Viva play a fundamental role in bringing science closer to society. By giving young students direct contact with researchers and laboratory work, they inspire curiosity, promote scientific literacy, and encourage future gene

Our team had the pleasure of participating in the EURESTOP Final Conference, held in Pula, Croatia, where researchers from across Europe came together to share knowledge, foster collaborations, and discuss the latest advances in the field. A special congratulations to Tomás, who presented a poster showcasing his research within the PROTAC4OncoP53 project. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas, receive valuable feedback, and strengthen connections

Today, we say goodbye to Amelia (bottom right in the photo) and Francesco (top right in the photo), two ERASMUS students whose dedication and enthusiasm have made a valuable contribution to the PROTAC4OncoP53 project. During their time with our team, Francesco worked on the synthesis of VHL-based PROTACs, while Amelia focused on the synthesis of MDM2-based PROTACs. Their work has contributed to advancing our research, and we are grateful for their commitment and hard work thr

You can find us at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/protacforonco-642890419/ Expect more news from our Project!

We are proud to share that our PhD students, Ricardo and Tomás, presented their research at the XVII iMed.ULisboa Meeting, our research hub's annual in-house scientific meeting. As part of the PROTAC4OncoP53 project, they showcased two posters highlighting their latest research and progress. Their presentations provided an excellent opportunity to share their work with colleagues, receive valuable feedback, and engage in scientific discussions within the iMed.ULisboa communit

Amelia Oszczyk is an Erasmus Master's student intern from the Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum (Krakow, Poland). She will be working on the synthesis of MDM2-based PROTACs for selective degradation of mutant p53.

Location: Lisboa, Portugal Program: https://16enqo-9enqmb.events.chemistry.pt/scientific-program Our project leader, Professor Maria Santos, shared our work through an oral communication entitled "Small molecules to reclaim tumor suppressor p53 function in cancer". Ricardo Ferreira and Tomás Ginestal shared our work through poster communications. All these communications highlight the most recent results of our project PROTAC4OncoP53. .

We congratulate Tomás G. Monteiro, who was awarded at the 16ENQO & 9ENQMB with a Honourable Mention in the Portuguese Award for Best Master Thesis in Medicinal Chemistry & Chemical Biology 2025.

On Tuesday, 10 February, the coordinator of our project, M. M. M. Santos, successfully defended her Habilitation in Pharmacy, with specialization in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Therapeutics, at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon. Her habilitation work, titled “Medicinal Chemistry Strategies for Developing p53‑Targeted Anti‑Cancer Therapeutics,” underscores her long‑standing commitment to advancing innovative therapeutic strategies against cancer. During the habili

Francesco Napolitano joins the project as an Erasmus Intern at the MOC group from Università degli studi di Salerno (Salerno, Italy). He will be working in the synthesis of VHL-based PROTACs for selective mutant p53 degradation.

Maria M. Santos was invited to deliver a seminar at the iMed Seminars, where she presented the project “PROTAC4OncoP53”. During her talk, she highlighted the scientific rationale, key objectives, and recent progress of the project, which focuses on the development of innovative therapeutic strategies targeting p53 in oncology. The presentation fostered engaging discussion and knowledge exchange within the iMed community.

In this tuesday (2 december 2025), Tomás G. Monteiro started a new position as Research Technician in the project. Tomás will support the technical management of the project, ensuring follow-up, results organization, and communication with the research team. Welcome to our team Tomás!

Alexandre Charneca joins the project as a Master's student at the MOC group. He will be working in the synthesis of CRBN-based PROTACs for selective mutant p53 degradation.

Location: Lisboa, Portugal Program: https://www.aefful.pt/congresso-aefful/ Tomás Monteiro shared his work through a poster titled "Exploiting Tryptophanol-derived Isoindolinones for PROTAC Development to Degrade Mutant p53 R273H and R280K" showcasing the first results of the PROTAC4OncoP53 project. Additionally, he won the Best Scientific Poster Award in the Master's students category.

Location: Braga, Portugal Program: https://xxixelgq.events.chemistry.pt/pt/programa Ricardo Ferreira shared his work through a talk titled "Chemical Strategies for Cancer Therapy: Targeted Degradation of Mutant p53 via PROTACs" showcasing the first results of the PROTAC4OncoP53 project.

FARM-ID intends to hire a Research Technician within the scope of the research project reference LISBOA2030-FEDER-00735600 (Project No. 16199), entitled: “Proteolysis-targeting chimeric technology for the development of mutant p53-based anticancer drugs”, funded by national funds from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, LP.) and by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through the Lisbon Regional Program Management Authority, for the developmen

The project will end in 2028.