João Manuel do Canto Gomes (FF14-1722-1759)

Curriculum Vitae

João Manuel do Canto Gomes

João is a research fellow at the University of Minho. He graduated in Applied Biology in 2015. He later completed a masters degree in Health Sciences in 2017 and a PhD in 2023 at the University of Minho. During his bachelors internship, he studied the immune systems recovery in HIV-infected patients after antiretroviral therapy (ART). This research ignited his passion for immunology. During his masters degree, João undertook a project to investigate immune system alterations in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Subsequently, he held a 6-month fellowship project, assessing immune response patterns in active and latent tuberculosis after stimulation with mycobacterial glycolipids. In 2018, João received a PhD fellowship from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) under the Inter-University Doctoral Program in Aging and Chronic Diseases. João and his colleagues discovered that individuals recently diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS exhibit a less mature phenotype on their T cells than healthy controls. João was also part of the research group involved in 2 Roche clinical trials, Musette and Gavotte. In 2022, he was awarded an EMBO Scientific Exchange Grant to support a 6-month placement at Professor Andrew McMichaels lab in the University of Oxford. The placement enabled João to sequence and analyse the T cell receptor repertoire of Epstein-Barr Virus-specific HLA-E-restricted CD8+ T cells and the function of those cells. In 2023, João completed his PhD. Currently, the main interests of João are: i) understand the mechanisms that underlie the less mature T cell phenotype in the blood of people with multiple sclerosis; ii) explore T cell receptor repertoire specific to the Epstein-Barr virus in individuals with multiple sclerosis in comparison to Epstein-Barr Virus seroconverted controls

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Identification

Personal identification

Full name: João Manuel do Canto Gomes

Citation names

Canto-Gomes, João

Author identifiers

Ciência ID: FF14-1722-1759
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7499-1500

Email addresses

joaodocantogomes@gmail.com (Professional)

Addresses

Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Escola de Medicina, Universidade do Minho, 4710-057, Gualtar, Braga, Portugal (Professional)

Knowledge fields

Medical and Health Sciences - Basic Medicine - Immunology

Languages

Language	Speaking	Reading	Writing	Listening	Peer-review
English	Upper intermediate (B2)	Upper intermediate (B2)	Upper intermediate (B2)	Upper intermediate (B2)
Portuguese (Mother tongue)

Education

	Degree	Classification
2018/03/01 - 2023/10/26 Concluded	Inter-University Doctoral Program in Aging and Chronic Diseases (Doctor) Universidade do Minho, Portugal Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal "T Cell differentiation as a core component of multiple sclerosis pathogenesis" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
2015/09 - 2017/07 Concluded	Health Sciences (Master) Universidade do Minho, Portugal "Impact of the immune system aging on Multiple Sclerosis´ forms of progression: study of the thymic function" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)	18
2012/09 - 2015/07 Concluded	Applied Biology (Bachelor) Universidade do Minho, Portugal "HIV Infection: from the evaluation of a new diagnosis method to tuberculosis co-infection to the immune reconstitution after antiretroviral therapy" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)	15

Affiliation

Science

	Category Host institution	Employer
2024/05/01 - 2025/04/30	Researcher (Research)	Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal

2023/09/16 - 2024/03/16	Researcher (Research)	Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
	Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2017/09 - 2018/02	Researcher (Research)	Universidade do Minho Escola de Medicina, Portugal
	Universidade do Minho Escola de Medicina, Portugal

Projects

Grant

	Designation	Funders
2023/01/01 - Current	Why are peripheral T cells less mature at Multiple Sclerosis clinical onset? 2022.05294.PTDC Researcher Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal	Associação para a Inovação e Desenvolvimento da FCT Ongoing
2025/01/01 - 2026/06/30	Unravelling T-Cell Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis: Can Plasma Hold the Key? 2023.13612.PEX Principal investigator Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal	Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia Ongoing
2022/06 - 2022/12	TCR repertoire analysis of EBV-specific HLA-E-restricted CD8+ T-cells in multiple sclerosis. 9705 Research Fellow Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Oxford Branch, United Kingdom	Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Lebenswissenschaften Heidelberg GmbH Concluded
2021 - 2022	Assessment of SARS-COV-2 vaccine response in patients with multiple sclerosis COVACiMS Researcher	Grupo de Estudos em Esclerose Multipla (GEEM) Biogen Portugal Concluded
2020 - 2020/07	Which, when and for who? Serodiagnosis as a tool to complement diagnosis and evaluate population immunity against SARS-CoV-2 596694995 Researcher Laboratório Associado ICVS 3B's, Portugal	Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia Concluded
2018 - 2020	Relation between regulatory T cells and immunological hyperactivation associated co-morbilities of chronically infected HIV-infected patients PGG/018/2017 Researcher Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal	Gilead Sciences Lda Concluded
2016/03 - 2018	Immunological ageing and a trigger for multiple sclerosis na Researcher Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal	Centro Clínico Académico - Hospital de Braga Concluded

Outputs

Publications

Conference poster	Alves-Peixoto, P.; Ramos-Fernandes, C.; Canto-Gomes, J.; Silva, C. S.; Horta A.; Correia-Neves, M.; Nobrega, C.. "HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy have transient lower numbers of natural killer cells with an altered phenotype". Paper presented in XLVIII SPI Annual Meeting, 2023. Ribeiro, M.; Santos, D. J.; Marote, A.; Canto-Gomes, J.; Serre-Miranda, C.; Araújo, R.; Alves, C.; et al. Corresponding author: Salgado, A. J.. "Expansion of iPSC-derived human Mesenchymal Stem Cells using a human platelet lysate (hPL) as growth medium supplement". Paper presented in 12th International Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Stem Cells and Cell Therapies, 2022. Canto-Gomes, J.; Silva, C.S.; Rb-Silva, R.; González-Súarez, I.; Boleixa, D.; Martins da Silva, A.; Correia-Neves, M.; Cerqueira, J.J.; Nobrega, C.. "Lower numbers of blood central memory T cells and altered phenotype of regulatory cells are present in newly diagnosed relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis patients". Paper presented in 6th European Congress of Immunology, 2021. Silva, C.S.; Sundling, C.; Folkesson, E.; Fröberg, G.; Nobrega, C.; Canto-Gomes, J.; Chambers, B. J.; et al. "Stimulation with mycobacterial glycolipids and PPD reveals different innate immune response profiles in active and latent Tuberculosis". Paper presented in XVII Congress of the Iberian Society of Cytometry. Web Symposium, 2021. Canto-Gomes, J.; Silva, C.S.; Cerqueira, J.J.; Rb-Silva, R.; González-Súarez, I.; Boleixa, D.; Martins da Silva, A.; Correia-Neves, M.; Nobrega, C.. "Reduced memory T cells, less suppressive regulatory T cells and NK cells prone to be inhibited characterize Multiple Sclerosis at clinical onset". Paper presented in Symposium on Neuro-Immune Interactions, Web Symposium, 2021. Canto-Gomes, J.; Silva, C.S.; Cerqueira, J.J.; Rb-Silva, R.; González-Súarez, I.; Boleixa, D.; Martins da Silva, A.; Correia-Neves, M.; Nobrega, C.. "Higher naïve to memory T cells and altered regulatory cells characterize Multiple Sclerosis at clinical onset". Paper presented in XVII Congress of the Iberian Society of Cytometry. Web Symposium, 2021. Alves-Peixoto, P.; Canto-Gomes, J.; Silva, C.S.; Rb-Silva, R.; Horta, A.; Sigal, L.; Campbell, K.S.; Correia-Neves, M.; Nobrega, C.. "HIV-infected patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy have persistently reduced numbers of Natural Killer cells with an altered phenotype". Paper presented in XVII Congress of the Iberian Society of Cytometry. Web Symposium, 2021. Alves-Peixoto, P.; Canto-Gomes, J.; Silva, C. S.; Rb-Silva, R.; Horta, A.; Sigal, L. J.; Campbell, K.S.; Correia-Neves, M.; Nobrega, C.. "The phenotype of Natural Killer cells during HIV infection in patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy". Paper presented in XLVI SPI Annual Meeting 2021. Web Symposium, 2021. Canto-Gomes, J.; Silva, C. S.; Cerqueira, J. J.; Rb-Silva, R.; González-Súarez, I.; Boleixa, D.; Martins da Silva, A.; Correia-Neves, M.; Nobrega, C.. "Profound alterations on peripheral blood cell populations are present on relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis patients at disease onset". Paper presented in XLVI SPI Annual Meeting 2021, 2021. Canto-Gomes, J.; Silva, C. S.; Rb-Silva, R.; González-Súarez, I.; Boleixa, D.; Martins da Silva, A.; Correia-Neves, M.; Cerqueira, J. J.; Nobrega, C.. "Profound alterations on T cell subsets and on regulatory cells characterize Multiple Sclerosis at clinical onset". Paper presented in Annual Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis - ECTRIMS, 2021. Sundling, C.; Silva, C.S.; Canto-Gomes, J.; Folkesson, E.; Fröberg, G.; Nobrega, C.; Lakshmikanth, T.; et al. "Effect of Mtb-specific glycolipids on the immune response". Paper presented in Tuberculosis: Immunity and Immune Evasion, Keystone Symposia. Santa Fe, USA, 2020. Canto-Gomes, J.; Rb-Silva, R.; Cerqueira, J.J; Correia-Neves, M.; Nobrega, C.. "Impact of immune system aging on multiple sclerosis forms' of progression: study of the thymic function". Paper presented in XV Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Neurosciences. Braga, Portugal, 2017. Canto-Gomes, J.; Rb-Silva, R.; Cerqueira, J.J.; Correia-Neves, M.; Nobrega, C.. "Impact of immune system aging on multiple sclerosis' forms of progression: study of the thymic function". Paper presented in XLII Annual Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Immunology. Porto, Portugal, 2017.
Journal article	Campos, Jonas; Sampaio-Marques, Belém; Santos, Diogo; Barata-Antunes, Sandra; Ribeiro, Miguel; Serra, Sofia C.; Pinho, Tiffany S.; et al. "Lipid Priming of Adipose Mesenchymal Stromal Cells with Docosahexaenoic Acid: Impact on Cell Differentiation, Senescence and the Secretome Neuroregulatory Profile". Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (2024): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13770-024-00679-5. 10.1007/s13770-024-00679-5 Canto-Gomes, J.; Boleixa, B.; Teixeira, C.; Martins da Silva, A.; González-Súarez, I.; Cerqueira, J. J.; Correia-Neves, M.; Nobrega, C.. "Distinct disease-modifying therapies are associated with different blood immune cell profiles in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis". International Immunopharmacology Journal 131 111826 (2024): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1567576924003448. Open access • Published • 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111826 Hongbing Yang; Hong Sun; Simon Brackenridge; Xiaodong Zhuang; Peter A C Wing; Max Quastel; Lucy C. Walters; et al. "HLA-E-restricted SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells from convalescent COVID-19 patients suppress virus replication despite HLA class Ia down-regulation". Science Immunology 8 84 (2023): http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.abl8881. 10.1126/sciimmunol.abl8881 Canto-Gomes, J.; Silva-Ferreira, S.; Silva, C.S.; Boleixa, D.; Martins da Silva, A.; González-Súarez, I.; Cerqueira, J.J.; Correia-Neves, M.; Nobrega, C.. "People with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Have a Lower Number of Central Memory T Cells and HLA-DR+ Tregs". Cells (2023): https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12030439. Open access • Published • 10.3390/cells12030439 Canto-Gomes, J.; Silva, C.S.; Rb-Silva, R.; Boleixa, D.; Martins da Silva, A.; Cheynier, R.; Costa, P.; et al. "Low Memory T Cells Blood Counts and High Naïve Regulatory T Cells Percentage at Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis". Frontiers in Immunology 13 (2022): https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.901165. Open access • Published • 10.3389/fimmu.2022.901165 Gallo, V.; Reis, A.; Miranda, A.; Martins, C.; Serre-Miranda, C.; Nobrega, C.; Silva, C. S.; et al. "Increased Gal-3BP plasma levels in hospitalized patients infected with SARS-CoV-2". Clinical and Experimental Medicine (2022): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10238-021-00788-8. Open access • Published • 10.1007/s10238-021-00788-8 Silva, C. S.; Sundling, C.; Folkesson, E.; Fröberg, G.; Nobrega, C.; Canto-Gomes, J.; Chambers, B. J.; et al. "High Dimensional Immune Profiling Reveals Different Response Patterns in Active and Latent Tuberculosis Following Stimulation With Mycobacterial Glycolipids". Frontiers in Immunology 12 (2021): http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.727300. Open access • Published • 10.3389/fimmu.2021.727300 Serre-Miranda, C.; Nobrega, C.; Roque, S.; Canto-Gomes, J.; Silva, C.S.; Vieira, N.; Barreira-Silva, P.; et al. "Performance assessment of 11 commercial serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 on hospitalized COVID-19 patients". International Journal of Infectious Diseases 104 (2021): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2021.01.038. Open access • Published • 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.01.038 Rb-Silva, R.; Nobrega, C.; Azevedo, C.; Athayde, E.; Canto-Gomes, J.; Ferreira, I.; Cheynier, R.; et al. "Thymic function as a predictor of immune recovery in chronically HIV-infected patients initiating antiretroviral therapy". Frontiers in Immunology 10 25 (2019): http://hdl.handle.net/1822/62431. Open access • Published • 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00025
Preprint	Canto-Gomes, J.; Silva, C. S.; Rb-Silva, R.; Boleixa, B.; Ana Martins da Silva, A.; Cheynier, R.; Costa, P.; et al. "Low memory T cells blood counts and high naïve regulatory T cells percentage at relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis diagnosis". 2022. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.03.07.483243. 10.1101/2022.03.07.483243 Silva, C. S.; Sundling, C.; Folkeson, E.; Fröberg, G.; Nobrega, C.; Canto-Gomes, J.; Chambers, B. J.; et al. "Stimulation with mycobacterial glycolipids and PPD reveals different innate immune response profiles in active and latent TB". 2021. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.04.434373v1. 10.1101/2021.04.04.434373 Serre-Miranda, C.; Nobrega, C.; Roque, S.; Canto-Gomes, J.; Silva, C. S.; Vieira, N.; Barreira-Silva, P.; et al. "Performance assessment of 11 commercial serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 on hospitalized COVID-19 patients". 2020. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.06.20168856v1. 10.1101/2020.08.06.20168856
Thesis / Dissertation	"T cell differentiation as a core component of Multiple Sclerosis pathogenesis". PhD, Universidade do Minho, 2023. Canto-Gomes, João. "Impact of the immune system aging on multiple sclerosis' forms of progression: study of the thymic function". Master, Universidade do Minho, 2017. Canto-Gomes, João. "HIV infection: from the evaluation of a new diagnostic method for co-infection with tuberculosis to the immune reconstitution during antiretroviral therapy". Degree, Universidade do Minho, 2015.

Activities

Oral presentation

	Presentation title	Event name Host (Event location)
2020/10	T cells as a core component of Multiple Sclerosis pathogenesis	Translational Research and Medicine Development EATRIS (Websymposium)
2019/03	The impact of the immune system aging and thymic function on Multiple Sclerosis progression	VI Jornadas de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Centro Clinico Académico - Hospital de Braga (Braga, Portugal)

Supervision

	Thesis Title Role	Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2024/01 - 2024/07	Evaluation of Epstein-Barr virus-specific T cells in people with multiple sclerosis Supervisor	Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2024/01 - 2024/02	The study of Epstein-Barr virus-specific T cells in people with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis Supervisor	Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2023/12 - 2024	Assessment of Epstein-Barr virus-specific T cells response in people with multiple sclerosis Supervisor	Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2018/07 - 2018/08	Thymic malfunction and immune systems peripheral alterations in multiple sclerosis Co-supervisor of Ana Oliveira	Maria de Sousa Summer Research Program (Other)
2017/04 - 2017/07	Impact of aging of the immune system on the progression of Multiple Sclerosis: study of thymic function Co-supervisor of Inês Fernandes Lages	Applied Biology (Degree) Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2017 - 2017	Immunological aging as a trigger for Multiple Sclerosis Co-supervisor of Andreia Nunes	Health Sciences (Specialization course) Universidade do Minho, Portugal

Event organisation

	Event name Type of event (Role)	Institution / Organization
2014 - 2015	XVIII National Meeting of Biology Students (2015/03/18 - 2015/03/20) Meeting (Member of the Organising Committee)	Universidade do Minho, Portugal

Course / Discipline taught

	Academic session	Degree Subject (Type)	Institution / Organization
2023/10 - 2023/10	Flow cytometry practical session (4-hours lesson).	Post-graduation course in Fundamentals in Immunology. (Curso de mestrado (conclusão do curso de especialização))	Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2021/03 - 2021/03	Evaluation of immune system's ageing	Cell functional and phenotypical analysis: the usefulness of flow cytometry and related tools (Outros)	Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal
2019/03 - 2019/03	Nucleic acid detection by flow cytometry	Cell functional and phenotypical analysis: the usefulness of flow cytometry and related tools course (Outros)	Universidade do Minho Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e Saúde, Portugal