Obesity affects all ages, increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and mental health disorders. Aging further amplifies these risks through hormonal and inflammatory changes that accelerate metabolic dysfunction. Despite available treatments, many patients remain poorly controlled, highlighting the need for new strategies to prevent and manage obesity and its comorbidities.
Our research group is focused on exploring the pathophysiological mechanisms behind the development of obesity and its associated diseases and in the identification of prevention strategies and treatment interventions that would help stem these epidemics. In this context, we are deeply interested in study tissue microenvironments, organ-organ cross-talk and body-brain communication in obesity and its related comorbidities and particularly in studying the carotid body as a intermediary organ in dysmetabolism.
We have a translational and multidisciplinary scientific approach, going from the study in cells, to animals and humans. As such, we use traditional and cutting-edge methodologies going from biochemistry, to cell and tissue biology and imaging, to electrophysiology and in vivo studies. We are also focused on the development of mathematical and computational tools to analyze data and to promote the wellbeing of metabolic disease patients.
Projects
- July 2025 - June 2028 | THINNER_V2.0 - New therapeutic approaches for obesity based on adipose tissue neuroendocrine mechanisms.
Coordinator: Paulo Matafome, Coimbra University
THINNER_2.0 will employ a therapeutic strategy simultaneously targeting dopaminergic and melanocortin signaling to achieve sustained weight loss, prevent metabolic complications of obesity and spare the need for metabolic surgery.
- May 2023 - April 2028 | PAS GRAS – De-risking metabolic, environmental and behaviour determinats of obsity in children, adolescents and young adults
Horizon Europe Ref: 101080329 – Coordinator at NMS
PAS GRAS, an EU-funded project, aims to prevent and reverse obesity and related metabolic complications across all age groups. It develops personalized risk assessment tools and promotes lifestyle interventions, including the Mediterranean diet, targeting a 15% reduction in adult obesity and 30% in children and adolescents by 2050.
Publications
- Melo BF, Sacramento JF, Lavergne J, Martins FO, Rosendo-Silva D, Panzolini C, Prego CS, Falvey A, Olea E, Matafome P, Rocher A, Prieto-Lloret J, Correia MC, Blancou P, Conde SV. Reversal of Diabesity Through Modulating Sympathetic Inputs to Adipose Tissue Following Carotid Body Resection. Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2025;241(7):e70074. doi: 10.1111/apha.70074.
- Fernandes JL, Martins FO, Olea E, Prieto-Lloret J, Braga PC, Sacramento JF, Sequeira CO, Negrinho AP, Pereira SA, Alves MG, Rocher A, Conde SV. Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Dysmetabolism Is Associated with Hepatic Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Inflammation. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Oct 25;12(11):1910. doi: 10.3390/antiox12111910.
- Tavares G, Martins FO, Melo BF, Matafome P, Conde SV. Peripheral Dopamine Directly Acts on Insulin-Sensitive Tissues to Regulate Insulin Signaling and Metabolic Function. Front Pharmacol. 2021 Sep 9;12:713418. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.713418.
- Martins FO, Sacramento JF, Olea E, Melo BF, Prieto-Lloret J, Obeso A, Rocher A, Matafome P, Monteiro EC, Conde SV. Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia Induces Early-Stage Metabolic Dysfunction Independently of Adipose Tissue Deregulation. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021;10(8):1233. doi: 10.3390/antiox10081233.
- Tavares G, Marques D, Barra C, Rosendo-Silva D, Costa A, Rodrigues T, Gasparini P, Melo BF, Sacramento JF, Seiça R, Conde SV, Matafome P. Dopamine D2 receptor agonist, bromocriptine, remodels adipose tissue dopaminergic signalling and upregulates catabolic pathways, improving metabolic profile in type 2 diabetes. Mol Metab. 2021;51:101241. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101241.
- Cunha-Guimaraes JP, Guarino MP, Timóteo AT, Caires I, Sacramento JF, Ribeiro MJ, Selas M, Santiago JCP, Mota-Carmo M, Conde SV. Carotid body chemosensitivity: early biomarker of dysmetabolism in humans. Eur J Endocrinol. 2020 ;182(6):549-557. doi: 10.1530/EJE-19-0976.
- Cracchiolo M, Sacramento JF, Mazzoni A, Panarese A, Carpaneto J, Conde SV, Micera S. Decoding Neural Metabolic Markers From the Carotid Sinus Nerve in a Type 2 Diabetes Model. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng. 2019;27(10):2034-2043. doi: 10.1109/TNSRE.2019.2942398.
- Sacramento JF, Chew DJ, Melo BF, Donegá M, Dopson W, Guarino MP, Robinson A, Prieto-Lloret J, Patel S, Holinski BJ, Ramnarain N, Pikov V, Famm K, Conde SV. Bioelectronic modulation of carotid sinus nerve activity in the rat: a potential therapeutic approach for type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2018 Mar;61(3):700-710. doi: 10.1007/s00125-017-4533-7.
- Sacramento JF, Ribeiro MJ, Rodrigues T, Olea E, Melo BF, Guarino MP, Fonseca-Pinto R, Ferreira CR, Coelho J, Obeso A, Seiça R, Matafome P, Conde SV. Functional abolition of carotid body activity restores insulin action and glucose homeostasis in rats: key roles for visceral adipose tissue and the liver. Diabetologia. 2017;60(1):158-168. doi: 10.1007/s00125-016-4133-y.
- Ribeiro MJ, Sacramento JF, Gonzalez C, Guarino MP, Monteiro EC, Conde SV. Carotid body denervation prevents the development of insulin resistance and hypertension induced by hypercaloric diets. Diabetes. 2013;62(8):2905-16. doi: 10.2337/db12-1463.
Prizes and Awards
- 2024 – M. M. ALMEIDA RUAS Award to Fátima Martins –Portuguese Society of Diabetes, Best fundamental research in diabetes field.
- 2023 - L'Oréal Portugal Medals of Honor for Women in Science to Joana Sacramento, L'Oréal Portugal- FCT-UNESCO, , Portugal
- 2022 – Pedro Eurico Lisboa Honor Award, Portuguese Society of Diabetes - Best publication in the Diabetes field. Manuscript awarded “Tavares et al. 2021 Mol Metabolism 51:101241”
- 2021 – Scientific Research Alfredo da Silva Award to “CB meter – um novo dispositivo para a detecção precoce da diabetes mellitus tipo 2”, Fundação Amélia de Melo, COTEC
- 2021 – Pedro Eurico Lisboa Award to Silvia Conde, Portuguese Society of Diabetes - Best publication in the Diabetes field in 2020. Manuscript awarded “Cunha-Guimarães et al. 2020 Eur J Endocrinol.”
- 2019 – Pedro Eurico Lisboa Honor Award to Silvia Conde, Portuguese Society of Diabetes - Best publication in the Diabetes field. Manuscript awarded “Sacramento et al. 2018 Diabetologia 61:700-710.”
- 2018 - Pulido Valente/FCT Award to Joana Sacramento – Best publication in Biomedical Engineering. Manuscript awarded “Sacramento et al. 2018 Diabetologia 61:700-710”
Patents
- Micera S, Panarese A, Mazzoni A, Carpanato J, Cracchiolo M, Ramnarain N, Conde SV (2017) A system for monitoring and treating metabolic disorders. Patent No. 102017000148492
- Conde SV, Chew DJ, Famm K, Guarino MP, Holinski B, Patel S (2015) Neuromodulation device. Patent PCT/PT20115/000047. International Bureau WO/2016/072875. Licensed to Galvani Bioelectronics in May 2016.
Colaborations
- Phillipe Blancou, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université Côte D'azur, Valbonne, France
- Mark Evans, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Kryspin Andrzejewski and Katarzyna Kaczyńska, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- Asuncion Rocher, Elena Olea and Jesus Prieto Lloret, IBGM, Universitry of Valladolid, Spain
- José Ramon Lopez-Lopez, Maria Teresa Peres-Garcia, IBGM, University of Valladolid, Spain
- Maria Guarino and Rui Pinto, ciTechCare, Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Leiria, Portugal
- Anabela Marisa Azul, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Paulo Matafome, Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal