Ana Cristina do Espírito Santo Henriques (6C13-DE40-98D1)

Curriculum Vitae

Ana Cristina do Espírito Santo Henriques

Ana Henriques graduated from the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra, with a Master’s Degree in Biochemistry (2012), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry (2010). Her Master’s Degree was concluded under the thesis entitled “Infection by hepatitis C virus - genetic variability and molecular studies of immune response mediators”, at the Center Histocompatibility Center (Coimbra). Still, in the scope of academic training, she did a volunteer internship (2012) at the Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBLI), in the field of nuclear oncology. In November 2022, Ana concluded her PhD (PhD fellowship from FCT 2016 call - SFRH/BD/116167/2016) at the University Institute of Health Sciences (IUCS) – CESPU, within the Biomedical Sciences doctoral program. Her PhD work was focused on developing novel molecular-based therapies targeting key mitotic regulators and searching for combination approaches to kill or increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to antimitotics. During her professional / academic journey, Ana also worked as a research fellow in the study of genes responsible for the use of methanesulfonate (MSA) as a carbon and energy source in MSA-isolated bacteria and seawater samples (2013-2015) at the Institute for Research and Advanced Training in Health sciences and Technologies (IINFACTS) – CESPU. After that, she was a research fellow at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (2016) in the context of studies involving environmental multidrug-resistant bacteria. More recently, Ana worked as a temporary Staff Scientist (maternity leave substitute) at IFOM (Milan), in the DNA damage response and cellular senescence Lab. Currently, Ana is working as a Postdoc in Cell Biology of Viral Infection Research Lab at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, where she is dedicated to investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying influenza virus infections. Research interests: cancer, microbiology, targeted therapies, mitosis, aging.

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Identification

Personal identification

Full name: Ana Cristina do Espírito Santo Henriques
Gender: Female

Citation names

Henriques, Ana C.

Author identifiers

Ciência ID: 6C13-DE40-98D1
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4951-792X

Email addresses

anhenriques@ucp.pt (Professional)

Knowledge fields

Medical and Health Sciences - Medical Biotechnology - Gene-based Diagnostics and Therapeutic Interventions
Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Molecular Biology
Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Cell Biology
Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Microbiology
Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biochemistry

Languages

Language	Speaking	Reading	Writing	Listening
Portuguese	Proficiency (C2)	Proficiency (C2)	Proficiency (C2)	Proficiency (C2)
English	Upper intermediate (B2)	Advanced (C1)	Upper intermediate (B2)	Advanced (C1)
Italian	Intermediate (B1)	Intermediate (B1)	Intermediate (B1)	Intermediate (B1)
French	Beginner (A1)	Elementary (A2)	Beginner (A1)	Elementary (A2)

Education

	Degree	Classification
2017/03/01 - 2022/11/04 Concluded	Ciências Biomédicas (Doutoramento) Instituto Universitário de Ciências da Saúde, Portugal "Therapeutic targeting of spindle assembly checkpoint silencing as a strategy to sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy drugs" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2018/05/07 - 2018/05/19 Concluded	Course in Laboratory Animal Science - Category C (Outros) Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal
2012/09 Concluded	Bioquímica (Mestrado integrado) Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Portugal "Infeção pelo vírus da hepatite C - variabilidade genética e estudo molecular de mediadores da resposta imune" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)	17
2007/09 - 2010/07 Concluded	Bioquímica (Licenciatura) Universidade de Coimbra Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Portugal "Aterosclerose e Infeção - efeitos de LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) e CHEMS (Cholesteryl Hemisuccinate) em Macrófagos" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)	14

Affiliation

Science

	Category Host institution	Employer
2024/09/01 - Current	Postdoc (Research)	Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Portugal

2023/07 - 2024/08/31	Postdoc (Research)	Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal
	Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal
2022/04/20 - 2023/01/20	Research Assistant (Research)	IFOM-IEO Campus, Italy
	IFOM-IEO Campus, Italy
2012/09/01 - 2012/10/01	Research Trainee (Research)	IBILI - Instituto Biomédico de Investigação da Luz e da Imagem, Portugal

2011/09/01 - 2012/09/01	Research Trainee (Research)	Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Histocompatibilidade do Centro, Portugal

2010/02/01 - 2010/07/01	Research Trainee (Research)	Universidade de Coimbra Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Portugal

Others

	Category Host institution	Employer
2017/02/08 - 2022/11/04	PhD Student - FCT fellowship (reference: SFRH/BD/116167/2016)	Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário, Portugal
	Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário, Portugal (...)
2016/02/08 - 2016/08/07	Research Fellow	Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Engenharia, Portugal

2013/06/01 - 2015/08/31	Research Fellow	Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário, Portugal

Projects

Grant

	Designation	Funders
2017/03 - 2021/03	Therapeutic targeting of cell division through functionalized nanoparticle-mediated siRNA delivery for the treatment of lung cancer. SFRH/BD/116167/2016 PhD Student Fellow Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário, Portugal Universidade do Porto Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal Universidade do Porto Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Portugal	Ongoing
2016/02 - 2016/08	Investigation of the photocatalytic inactivation of multidrug resistant Escherichia coli of the sequence type ST131 complex LEPABE-EQU/00511 Research Fellow Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Engenharia, Portugal	Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Engenharia Concluded
2013/06 - 2015/08	Methanesulfonate-degrading marine bacteria: a molecular approach PTDC/BIA-MIC/3623/2012 Research Fellow Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário, Portugal	Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia Concluded

Other

	Designation	Funders
2018 - 2021	Molecular mechanisms of chromosome segregation. 030014 (Call: 02/SAICT/2017) Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário, Portugal Universidade do Algarve - Campus de Gambelas, Portugal	Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia Ongoing
2019 - 2020	Targeting the mitotic protein p31comet for cancer therapy. ComeTax Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário, Portugal	Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário Ongoing
2018 - 2019	Bub3 and Spindly knockout mediated by CRISPR-Cas9 technology: in vitro characterization and therapeutic potential CRISPRTech Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário, Portugal	Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário Ongoing
2017 - 2018	The mitotic protein p31comet as a cancer therapeutic target ComeTarget Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário, Portugal	Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário Concluded

Outputs

Publications

Conference poster

Henriques, Ana; Silva, Patrícia; Sarmento, Bruno; Bousbaa, Hassan. "A inibição da molécula p31comet sensibiliza células de cancro de pulmão de não-pequenas células ao tratamento com paclitaxel". Paper presented in 1º Encontro Nacional de Jovens Investigadores em Oncologia, 2019.
Henriques, Ana C. (6C13-DE40-98D1); Silva, Patrícia; Sarmento, Bruno; Bousbaa, Hassan. "Targeting p31comet sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer cells to paclitaxel treatment". Paper presented in GenomePT Syposium, 2019.
Bousbaa, Hassan; Cidade, Honorina; Pinto, Patrícia; Machado, Carmen Mariana; Moreira, Joana; P. Almeida, José Diogo; M. A. Silva, Patrícia; et al. "New chalcone derivatives with suitable drug-like lipophilicity targeting mitosis". 2019.
10.3390/ecmc2019-06311
Henriques, Ana C.; De Marco, Paolo. "Simple Protocol for Molecular Fingerprinting of Human Oral Microbiota Samples in Lab Classes". Paper presented in 7th Congress of European Microbiologists (FEMS 2017 Congress), 2017.
Henriques, Ana C.; De Marco, Paolo. "Genes and genomes of methanesulfonate-degrading bacteria". Paper presented in Gordon Research Conference on Applied & Environmental Microbiology, 2015.
Henriques, Ana C.; De Marco, Paolo. "Methanesulfonate (MSA) catabolic genes from marine and estuarine bacteria". Paper presented in 6th Congress of European Microbiologists (FEMS 2015 Congress), 2015.
Henriques, Ana C. (6C13-DE40-98D1); De Marco, Paolo. "Methanesulfonate-degrading marine bacteria: a molecular approach". Paper presented in Gordon Research Conference on Marine Microbes, 2014.
Henriques, Ana C.; De Marco, Paolo. "Methanesulfonate-degrading marine bacteria: a molecular approach". Paper presented in MicroBiotec 13, 2013.

Journal article

Henriques, Ana C.; Silva, João P. N.; Pinto, Bárbara; Silva, Patrícia M. A.; Bousbaa, Hassan. Corresponding author: Bousbaa, Hassan. "Exploring the Clinical Relevance of p31comet in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma through UALCAN database analysis". Scientific Letters (2024): https://publicacoes.cespu.pt/index.php/sl/article/view/266.
Published
Silva, Patrícia M. A.; Henriques, Ana C.; Silva, João Pedro Nunes; Pinto, Bárbara; Bousbaa, Hassan. Corresponding author: Bousbaa, Hassan. "Targeting p31comet to Enhance Cisplatin-induced Cytotoxicity in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells". Scientific Letters (2024):
Published
Gioia, Ubaldo; Tavella, Sara; Martínez-Orellana, Pamela; Cicio, Giada; Colliva, Andrea; Ceccon, Marta; Cabrini, Matteo; et al. "SARS-CoV-2 infection induces DNA damage, through CHK1 degradation and impaired 53BP1 recruitment, and cellular senescence". Nature Cell Biology (2023): http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41556-023-01096-x.
10.1038/s41556-023-01096-x
Pinto, Bárbara; Novais, Pedro; Henriques, Ana C.; Carvalho-Tavares, Juliana; Silva, Patrícia M. A.; Bousbaa, Hassan. "Navitoclax Enhances the Therapeutic Effects of PLK1 Targeting on Lung Cancer Cells in 2D and 3D Culture Systems". Pharmaceutics 14 6 (2022): 1209. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14061209.
Published • 10.3390/pharmaceutics14061209
De Marco, Paolo; Henriques, Ana C.; Azevedo, Rui; Sá, Susana I.; Cardoso, Armando; Fonseca, Bruno; Barbosa, Joana; Leal, Sandra. "Gut Microbiome Composition and Metabolic Status Are Differently Affected by Early Exposure to Unhealthy Diets in a Rat Model". Nutrients 13 9 (2021): 3236. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu13093236.
10.3390/nu13093236
Henriques, Ana C.; Silva, Patrícia M. A.; Sarmento, Bruno; Bousbaa, Hassan. "Antagonizing the spindle assembly checkpoint silencing enhances paclitaxel and Navitoclax-mediated apoptosis with distinct mechanistic". Scientific Reports 11 1 (2021): http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83743-7.
10.1038/s41598-021-83743-7
Henriques, Ana; Silva, Patrícia M. A.; Sarmento, Bruno; Bousbaa, Hassan. "The Mad2-Binding Protein p31comet as a potential target for human cancer therapy". Current Cancer Drug Targets 21 (2021): http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1568009621666210129095726.
10.2174/1568009621666210129095726
Loureiro, Daniela R. P.; Magalhães, Álvaro F.; Soares, José X.; Pinto, Joana; Azevedo, Carlos M. G.; Vieira, Sara; Henriques, Ana; et al. "Yicathins B and C and Analogues: Total Synthesis, Lipophilicity and Biological Activities". ChemMedChem 15 9 (2020): 749-755. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cmdc.201900735.
10.1002/cmdc.201900735
Pinto, B.; Henriques, A.C.; Silva, P.M.A.; Bousbaa, H.. "Three-dimensional spheroids as in vitro preclinical models for cancer research". Pharmaceutics 12 12 (2020): 1-38. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85097385948&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
10.3390/pharmaceutics12121186
França, F.; Silva, P.M.A.; Soares, J.X.; Henriques, A.C.; Loureiro, D.R.P.; Azevedo, C.M.G.; Afonso, C.M.M.; Bousbaa, H.. "A Pyranoxanthone as a Potent Antimitotic and Sensitizer of Cancer Cells to Low Doses of Paclitaxel". Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) 25 24 (2020): http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85098532620&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
10.3390/molecules25245845
Pinto, Patricia; Machado, Carmen Mariana; Moreira, Joana; Almeida, José Diogo P.; Silva, Patrícia M.A.; Henriques, Ana C.; Soares, José X.; et al. "Chalcone derivatives targeting mitosis: Synthesis, evaluation of antitumor activity and lipophilicity". European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (2019): 111752. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111752.
10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111752
Henriques, A.C.; Ribeiro, D.; Pedrosa, J.; Sarmento, B.; Silva, P.M.A.; Bousbaa, H.. "Mitosis inhibitors in anticancer therapy: When blocking the exit becomes a solution". Cancer Letters 440-441 (2019): 64-81. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85054927966&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
10.1016/j.canlet.2018.10.005
Henriques, Ana C.; De Marco, Paolo. "Simple Protocol for Molecular Fingerprinting of Human Oral Microbiota Samples in Lab Classes". Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education 19 1 (2018): http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v19i1.1305.
10.1128/jmbe.v19i1.1305
Henriques, Ana C.; Azevedo, Rui M.S.; De Marco, Paolo. "Metagenomic survey of methanesulfonic acid (MSA) catabolic genes in an Atlantic Ocean surface water sample and in a partial enrichment". PeerJ 4 (2016): e2498. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2498.
10.7717/peerj.2498
Henriques, Ana C.; De Marco, Paolo. "Methanesulfonate (MSA) Catabolic Genes from Marine and Estuarine Bacteria". PLOS ONE 10 5 (2015): e0125735. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0125735.
10.1371/journal.pone.0125735
Henriques, A.C.; De Marco, P.. "Complete genome sequences of two strains of "Candidatus Filomicrobium marinum," a methanesulfonate-degrading species". Genome Announcements 3 3 (2015): http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85008466245&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
10.1128/genomeA.00160-15
Henriques, A.C.; De Marco, P.. "Genome sequence of Rhodococcus sp. strain RD6.2 DSM 46800, a methanesulfonate-degrading strain". Genome Announcements 3 4 (2015): http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85008469073&partnerID=MN8TOARS.
10.1128/genomeA.00730-15

Activities

Oral presentation

	Presentation title	Event name Host (Event location)
2021/11/26	Interferindo com a proteína p31comet aumenta a citotoxicidade do palitaxel e do Navitoclax em esferóides do cancro do pulmão	4ª rRACS 2021 - 3ª Reunião Internacional da Rede Académica das Ciências da Saúde da Lusofonia Rede Académica das Ciências da Saúde da Lusofonia (Benguela, Angola)
2020/10/13	p31comet inhibition combined with low doses of paclitaxel or Navitoclax potentiates cancer cell death	PhD Day - Programa Doutoral em Ciências Biológicas Aplicadas à Saúde Instituto Universitário de Ciências da Saúde (Gandra, Portugal)
2020/09/24	A combinação da inibição da p31comet com doses clinicamente relevantes de paclitaxel ou Navitoclax potencia a morte de células de cancro de pulmão de não pequenas células	2º Encontro Nacional de Jovens Investigadores em Oncologia Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro, Núcleo Regional do Norte (Porto, Portugal)
2020/09	Poderá a p31comet constituir um alvo molecular para a sensibilização de células de cancro de pulmão de não pequenas células ao paclitaxel?	rRACS 2020 - 3ª Reunião Internacional da Rede Académica das Ciências da Saúde da Lusofonia Rede Académica das Ciências da Saúde da Lusofonia (Portugal)
2019/11/20	New chalcone derivatives with antimitotic activity: synthesis, antitumor activity evaluation and chemosensitivity studies.	XXV Encontro Galego-Portugues de Química XXV Encontro Galego-Portugues de Química (Santiago de Compostela, Spain)
2019/07/04	Targeting p31comet sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer cells to paclitaxel treatment.	PhD Day - Programa Doutoral em Ciências Biológicas Aplicadas à Saúde Instituto Universitário de Ciências da Saúde, CESPU (Gandra, Portugal)
2012/12/15	Infecção pelo vírus de Hepatite C - Estudo molecular de mediadores da resposta imune	XI Congresso Nacional de Doenças Infecciosas e Microbiologia e IX Congresso Naconal sobre Sida. (Porto, Portugal)