Docente
Rui Pedro Brás Martins Faisca

Resume

I earned my Veterinary Degree from the University of Trás-os-Montes, Portugal, in 2000. In 2001, I moved to Belgium to pursue a DEA and Ph.D. in Veterinary Sciences at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, which I successfully defended in 2007. During this time, I also obtained specialized training in Veterinary Pathology, a field I have been practicing since then. Since 2005, I have been teaching Veterinary Pathology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusófona University, Portugal, and providing veterinary histopathology diagnostic services for DNATech. In 2015, I began working as an Experimental Pathologist at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal, where I served as Head of the Histopathology Facility from 2017 to 2024. In 2024, I joined the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine as an Experimental Pathologist. Since 2007, I have been the Editor of the Revista Lusófona de Ciência e Medicina Veterinária. I served as President of the Portuguese Society of Animal Pathology from 2015 to 2019 and currently hold a position on the board of the Portuguese Society of Veterinary Sciences. I have authored numerous articles in international peer-reviewed journals and have supervised dozens of Master’s students across various institutions, as well as several Ph.D. candidates.

Graus

• Doutoramento
  Medicina Veterinária
• Licenciatura
  Medicina Veterinária
• DEA
  Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies en sciences vétérinaries

Publicações

Preprint

Journal article

• 2024-04, Targeting circulating labile heme as a defense strategy against malaria, Life Science Alliance
• 2024-01, Rational approach to design gold nanoparticles for photothermal therapy: the effect of gold salt on physicochemical, optical and biological properties, International Journal of Pharmaceutics
• 2024, Combination of gold nanoparticles with near-infrared light as an alternative approach for melanoma management
• 2023-08, Feline calicivirus and natural killer cells: A study of its relationship in chronic gingivostomatitis, Veterinary World
• 2023-07, Semaphorin 4B is an ADAM17-cleaved adipokine that inhibits adipocyte differentiation and thermogenesis, Molecular Metabolism
• 2023-03-28, Presumptive hemophagocytic syndrome associated with co-infections with FIV , Toxoplasma gondii , and Candidatus mycoplasma haemominutum in an adult cat, Veterinary Clinical Pathology
• 2023-03-06, Pluronic® F127 Hydrogel Containing Silver Nanoparticles in Skin Burn Regeneration: An Experimental Approach from Fundamental to Translational Research, Gels
• 2023-03, Safety of Gold Nanoparticles: From In Vitro to In Vivo Testing Array Checklist, Pharmaceutics
• 2023-01, The ADAM17 sheddase complex regulator iTAP/Frmd8 modulates inflammation and tumor growth, Life Science Alliance
• 2023, The ADAM17 sheddase complex regulator iTAP/Frmd8 modulates inflammation and tumor growth
• 2023, Safety of Gold Nanoparticles
• 2023, Pluronic® F127 Hydrogel Containing Silver Nanoparticles in Skin Burn Regeneration: An Experimental Approach from Fundamental to Translational Research
• 2022-12-10, Current Insights and Progress in the Clinical Management of Head and Neck Cancer, Cancers
• 2022-12, Pessimistic cognitive bias is associated with enhanced reproductive investment in female zebrafish, Biology Letters
• 2022-09-28, Vet-OncoNet: Malignancy Analysis of Neoplasms in Dogs and Cats, Veterinary Sciences
• 2022-09-27, Nanoformulation of Seaweed Eisenia bicyclis in Albumin Nanoparticles Targeting Cardiovascular Diseases: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation, Marine Drugs
• 2022-08-03, Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in early breast cancer: an exploratory analysis focused on HER2+ subtype in Portuguese patients, Current Medical Research and Opinion
• 2022-08-03, Biological Thermal Performance of Organic and Inorganic Aerogels as Patches for Photothermal Therapy, Gels
• 2022-03, Cross Species Analysis and Comparison of Tumors in Dogs and Cats, by Age, Sex, Topography and Main Morphologies. Data from Vet-OncoNet, Veterinary Sciences
• 2022, Vet-OncoNet: Malignancy Analysis of Neoplasms in Dogs and Cats
• 2022, Valorização aquapónica da água resultante da Técnica de Precipitação Química: processamento histológico das larvas de BSF (Hermetia illucens L. 1758) (Projeto NETA)
• 2022, Pessimistic cognitive bias is associated with enhanced reproductive investment in female zebrafish
• 2022, Nanoformulation of seaweed eisenia bicyclis in albumin nanoparticles targeting cardiovascular diseases: In vitro and in vivo evaluation
• 2022, Cross Species Analysis and Comparison of Tumors in Dogs and Cats, by Age, Sex, Topography and Main Morphologies. Data from Vet-OncoNet
• 2022, Contributo ao estudo dos mastocitomas dos cães, Revista Lusófona de Ciência e Medicina veterinária
• 2022, Como comunicam as células? : em busca de Notch e dos seus parceiros
• 2022, Biological Thermal Performance of Organic and Inorganic Aerogels as Patches for Photothermal Therapy
• 2022, Biological Thermal Performance of Organic and Inorganic Aerogels as Patches for Photothermal Therapy
• 2021-04-15, Development of a Topical Insulin Polymeric Nanoformulation for Skin Burn Regeneration: An Experimental Approach, International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• 2021-03-30, Proof-of-Concept Study of Multifunctional Hybrid Nanoparticle System Combined with NIR Laser Irradiation for the Treatment of Melanoma, Biomolecules
• 2021-03-12, Gold-Based Nanoplataform for the Treatment of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma: A Step Forward, Cancers
• 2021-02-12, Stereology in Grading and Prognosis of Canine Cutaneous Mast Cell Tumors, Veterinary Pathology
• 2021, Stereology in Grading and Prognosis of Canine Cutaneous Mast Cell Tumors
• 2021, Proof-of-Concept Study of Multifunctional Hybrid Nanoparticle System Combined with NIR Laser Irradiation for the Treatment of Melanoma
• 2021, National survey of cat tumors in 2019: a retrospective study
• 2021, Learning Histology: Veterinary Medicine Student Preferences in the digital era, Revista Lusófona de Ciência e Medicina Veterinária
• 2021, Gold-based nanoplataform for the treatment of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
• 2021, Gold-Based Nanoplataform for the Treatment of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma: A Step Forward
• 2021, Caso clínico: granuloma reparativo de células gigantes
• 2021, Caso clínico: amiloidose subcutânea num gato
• 2021, Bacterial nanocellulose-hyaluronic acid microneedle patches for skin applications: In vitro and in vivo evaluation, Materials Science and Engineering C
• 2021, Aprender histologia: preferência dos alunos de Medicina Veterinária na Era Digital
• 2021, A randomized controlled preclinical trial on 3 interposal temporomandibular joint disc implants: TEMPOJIMS—Phase 2
• 2021, A randomized controlled preclinical trial on 3 interposal temporomandibular joint disc implants: TEMPOJIMS-Phase 2
• 2021, National survey of cat tumors in 2019: A retrospective Study, Revista Lusófona de Ciência e Medicina Veterinária
• 2020-12-18, A Step Forward in Breast Cancer Research: From a Natural-Like Experimental Model to a Preliminary Photothermal Approach, International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• 2020-12, Further Evidence of Possible Therapeutic Uses of Sambucus nigra L. Extracts by the Assessment of the In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Its PLGA and PCL-Based Nanoformulations, Pharmaceutics
• 2020-10, Tetracycline Antibiotics Induce Host-Dependent Disease Tolerance to Infection., Immunity
• 2020-09-14, Discrimination of Benign and Malignant Lesions in Canine Mammary Tissue Samples Using Raman Spectroscopy: A Pilot Study, Animals
• 2020, How can biomolecules improve mucoadhesion of oral insulin? A comprehensive insight using ex-vivo, in silico, and in vivo models, Biomolecules
• 2020, How can biomolecules improve mucoadhesion of oral insulin? A comprehensive insight using ex-vivo, in silico and in vivo models
• 2020, Further evidence of possible therapeutic uses of Sambucus nigra L. extracts by the assessment of the In Vitro and In Vivo anti-inflammatory properties of Its PLGA and PCL-Based Nanoformulations
• 2020, Feline oral cavity lesions diagnosed by histopathology: a 6-year retrospective study in Portugal, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery
• 2020, Evaluation of hematology, general serum biochemistry, bone turnover markers and bone marrow cytology in a glucocorticoid treated ovariectomized sheep model for osteoporosis research, Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
• 2020, Erratum to ‘Morphological Changes in Bombyx mori Silk Gland and Gut, in Association with the Feeding of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles’ [Journal of Comparative Pathology, Volume 174 (2020), Page 191] (Journal of Comparative Pathology (2020) 174 (191) (S0021997519304591), (10.1016/j.jcpa.2019.10.163)), Journal of Comparative Pathology
• 2020, Discrimination of Benign and Malignant Lesions in Canine Mammary Tissue Samples Using Raman Spectroscopy: A Pilot Study
• 2020, Deletion of iRhom2 protects against diet-induced obesity by increasing thermogenesis
• 2020, A Step Forward in Breast Cancer Research: From a Natural-Like Experimental Model to a Preliminary Photothermal Approach
• 2019-10-12, Microtomographic characterization of calcifications in canine mammary tumours., Veterinary and comparative oncology
• 2019-03-21, Ferritin regulates organismal energy balance and thermogenesis., Molecular metabolism
• 2019-01, T Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia as a Consequence of Thymus Autonomy, The Journal of Immunology
• 2019, Renal control of disease tolerance to malaria, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
• 2019, Quantifying myocardial fibrosis on murine model using ImageJ
• 2019, Quantifying hepatic fibrosis on murine models: how to obtain representative results in a less laborious way
• 2019, Microtomographic characterization of calcifications in canine mammary tumours
• 2017, PCNA and grade in 13 canine oral squamous cell carcinomas: association with prognosis, Veterinary and Comparative Oncology
• 2017, Low-dose ionizing radiation induces therapeutic neovascularization in a pre-clinical model of hindlimb ischemia, Cardiovascular Research
• 2017, Immortalization and characterization of a new canine mammary tumour cell line FR37-CMT, Veterinary and Comparative Oncology
• 2017, First report of Knemidokoptes jamaicensis Turk, 1950 (Acari: Epidermoptidae) infection in Palearctic tits (Passeriformes: Paridae) Parus major L., 1758 and Cyanistes caeruleus (L., 1758) in Portugal, International Journal of Acarology
• 2016, Functionalized diterpene parvifloron D-loaded hybrid nanoparticles for targeted delivery in melanoma therapy, Therapeutic Delivery
• 2015, p63 and E-cadherin Expression in Canine Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Veterinary Pathology
• 2015, Pericardite fibrinopurulenta: Caso clínico
• 2014-06, Supplement - CBiOS Science Sessions - 2014, Journal Biomedical and Biopharmaceutical Research
• 2014, Parotid salivary duct stenosis following caudal maxillectomy, Journal of Veterinary Dentistry
• 2013, Development of TNBS-induced colitis: animal model to test new pharmacological approaches
• 2012, First histological and virological report of fibropapilloma associated with herpesvirus in Chelonia mydas at Príncipe Island, West Africa, Archives of Virology
• 2011, Ectopic cervical thymic carcinoma in a dog, Journal of Small Animal Practice
• 2011, A case of intestinal lymphangictasia with lipogranulomatous lymphangitis in a female rottweiler dog
• 2010, Cutaneos angioleiomyosarcoma in a dog
• 2010, A case of canine ocular onchocercosis in Portugal, Veterinary Ophthalmology
• 2009, A critical appraisal of carbon monoxide uptake measurements for the follow-up of experimental respiratory diseases in the laboratory mouse, Scandinavian Journal of Laboratory Animal Science
• 2008, Experimental infection of inbred mice (Mus musculus) strains by Sendai virus reveals a wide spectrum of innate resistance/susceptibility patterns | L'infection expérimentale de différentes lignées consanguines de souris (Mus musculus) par le virus Sendai révèle des degrés variables de résistance innée, Annales de Medecine Veterinaire
• 2008, Dendritic cells genetically engineered to express IL-10 induce long-lasting antigen-specific tolerance in experimental asthma, Journal of Immunology
• 2007, Sendai virus, the mouse parainfluenza type 1: A longstanding pathogen that remains up-to-date, Research in Veterinary Science
• 2006, Suppression of pattern-recognition receptor TLR4 sensing does not alter lung responses to pneumovirus infection, Microbes and Infection
• 2006, Differential resistance/susceptibility patterns to pneumovirus infection among inbred mouse strains, American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology
• 2005-09, Treatment of Experimental Asthma by Decoy-mediated Local Inhibition of Activator Protein-1, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
• 2005, Treatment of experimental asthma by decoy-mediated local inhibition of activator protein-1, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
• 2005, Sendai virus-induced alterations in lung structure/function correlate with viral loads and reveal a wide resistance/susceptibility spectrum among mouse strains, American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology

Thesis / Dissertation

• 2020, Master, Endocrine disrupting chemicals exposure impact in C57BL/6J mice reproductive performance and morphology
• 2019, Master, Prognostic value of volume-weighted mean nuclear volume in canine mast cell tumours
• 2019, Master, Comparação do índice de ki-67 obtido através de contagem manual e de análise automatizada ImmunoRatio em amostras de tumores mamários caninos, carcinomas mamários felinos e mastocitomas
• 2017, Master, Estudos morfométricos em modelos experimentais de fibrose: quando os investigadores pretendem transformar uma imagem histológica num dado estatístico
• 2017, Master, Contribuição para a caracterização da ovelha como modelo animal para a investigação da osteoporose
• 2017, Master, A utilidade da reticulina no diagnóstico do carcinoma hepatocelular num modelo de murganho e a sua aplicação à espécie canina
• 2016, Master, Validação biofísica do método transvesical para medição da Pressão Intra-abdominal
• 2016, Master, Urolitíase numa população de macropus rufus e macropus rufogriseus do Jardim Zoológico de Barcelona
• 2016, Master, Study of the pathogenicity of Nocardia spp. by experimental infection in meagre, Argyrosomus regius (asso, 1801)
• 2016, Master, Neoplasias tegumentares em furões (Mustela Putorius Furo): estudo retrospetivo de 40 neoplasias tegumentares em furões
• 2016, Master, Descrição da doença oncológica em Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus- estudo realizado num parque zoológico
• 2016, Master, Contaminação bacteriana e fúngica dos tubos endotraqueais e traqueias respiratórias
• 2016, Master, Caracterização do crescimento bacteriano e a susceptibilidade antimicrobiana em infecções do tracto urinário em cães
• 2015, Master, Valores de referência em hematologia, bioquímica e electroforese no ara glaucogularis
• 2015, Master, Caracterização de 70 casos de anemia em gatos
• 2015, Master, Avaliação da presença de macrófagos associados ao tumor em 31 casos de linfoma B difuso de células grandes do cão
• 2015, Master, A obesidade como potencial fator de risco em 31 casos de doença do trato urinário inferior felino
• 2014, Master, Seroprevalência de Encephalitozoon cuniculi em coelhos assintomáticos da região de Lisboa
• 2014, Master, Prevalência de Taenia pisiformis / Cysticercus pisiformis em três zonas de caça do Baixo Alentejo
• 2014, Master, Perda de peso em gatos seniores e geriátricos: abordagem diagnóstica em gatos com mais de doze anos
• 2014, Master, Ocorrência de otite externa em cães apresentados à consulta de rotina
• 2014, Master, Importância da consulta de rotina no rastreio de doença periodontal e doenças oftalmológicas, em cães
• 2014, Master, Estudo restrospectivo de pancreatite canina em 41 casos
• 2014, Master, Contribuição para o estudo do papel do óxido nítrico na hipertensão felina
• 2013, Master, Prevalência de base hospitalar de Mycoplasma haemofelis tendo por base um hospital veterinário na Cova da Piedade - Almada
• 2013, Master, Otite externa canina : estudo preliminar sobre a otalgia e factores associados
• 2013, Master, Obesidade no gato doméstico : verificação dos factores de risco associados à obesidade felina num Centro Urbano
• 2013, Master, Neoplasias em canídeos: um estudo descritivo (2008-2010)
• 2013, Master, Identificação de cavalos seropositivos a anaplasma phagocitophilum em cavalos hospitalizados
• 2013, Master, Estudo sobre caquexia em leitões de recria
• 2013, Master, Estudo de vinte casos de hiperadrenocorticismo no cão
• 2013, Master, Causas de renúncia de cães e gatos nos concelhos de Cascais e Sintra
• 2013, Master, Avaliação da aplicabilidade da proposta de graduação de kiupel dos mastocitomas cutâneos em cães
• 2012, Master, Relação entre factores ambientais causadores de stress e doença renal felina
• 2012, Master, Estudo retrospectivo das doenças transmitidas por vectores – Babesiose, Ehrlichiose, Rickettsiose e Leishmaniose – em cães no concelho de Cascais
• 2012, Master, Esplenopatias cirúrgicas em cães, estudo retrospetivo num hospital de referência na área da Grande Lisboa
• 2012, Master, Caracterização das infecções do trato urinário de origem microbiana - casuística de um hospital veterinário em Lisboa
• 2012, Master, Avaliação de fatores de prognóstico associados a excisão cirúrgica de sarcomas nos locais de inoculação em felinos

Report

• 2023, Registo Oncológico Animal, 2021, https://hdl.handle.net/10216/151083
• 2021, Registo Oncológico Animal, 2020, https://hdl.handle.net/10216/150762

Working paper

• 2007, Virus-Resistance Genes: The Mouse Model

Conference paper

• Twenty Years Later: A New Case Of Endolymphatic Tube Infection, Internal Otitis And Meningitis Caused By Fusarium solani In A Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni)
• 2022-06-30, Safety assessment of silica-based and pectin-based aerogels as patches for biomedical applications (Oral Presentation), 2nd International Conference on Aerogels for Biomedical and Environmental Applications

Conference abstract

• 2024-01-16, iRhom2/ADAM17 deletion protects from obesity associated to increased adipocyte thermogenesis and differentiation and reduced adipocyte Semaphorin 4B shedding, II Encontro de Investigação da FMV da Universidade Lusófona
• 2019, Breast cancer experimental model induced by 7,12 Dimethylbenzanthracene, 14th FELASA Congress 2019
• 2019, A rational approach towards breast cancer treatment, NanoMedicine International Conference 2019

Conference poster

• 2022-07, Gold nanoparticles allied to photothermal therapy for the melanoma treatment, 13th iMed.ULisboa Postgraduate Students Meeting
• 2022-05, The added value of gold nanoparticles as photothermal enhancers for the management of superficial tumors, Ciência 2022 – Encontro com a Ciência e Tecnologia em Portugal
• 2021-10-22, How Can Biomolecules Improve Mucoadhesion of Oral Insulin?, 1st Symposium on Advanced Technologies for Drug Delivery
• 2021-10-10, Proof-of-concept Study of Gold Nanoparticles Combined with NIR Laser Irradiation for the Treatment of Melanoma, Cutaneous Melanoma: from where to where?, from Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro
• 2021-10, Proof-of-concept Study of Gold Nanoparticles Combined with NIR Laser Irradiation: Cutting-edge Technology for the Treatment of Melanoma, 1st Symposium on Advanced Technologies for Drug Delivery, @DD21
• 2021-10, Gold nanoparticles as part of a photothermal therapy system for breast cancer, 1st Symposium on Advanced Technologies for Drug Delivery, @DD21
• 2018, Tumours characterization in DMBA-induced breast cancer model, IV Congresso da SPCAL: Qualidade e Transparência na Investigação com Animais de Laboratório
• 2017-02, Avaliação da infeção pelos Vírus da Leucemia Felina e da Imunodeficiência Felina numa colónia de gatos errantes da Ilha de Faro, península do Ancão, XIII Congresso do Hospital Veterinário do Montenegro
• 2016-07-04, New models of mammary tumors for drug development, Ciência 2016 - Encontro de Ciência 2016
• 2015-11-09, Molecular characterization of miRs and mRNAs in canine mammary tumours and their role biomarkers in the metastatic progression, II Jornadas NOVA Saúde 2015
• 2014-05, Molecular characterization of canine mammary tumours: the role of miRs and mRNAs as biomarkers in the metastatic transition, European Society of Veterinary Oncology Annual Congress
• 2013-06, Insights into the molecular basis of canine mammary cancer: the use of miRs in the characterization of canine mammary tumors, European Society of Veterinary Oncology Annual Congress, ESVONC
• 2013-05, Insights into the molecular basis of canine mammary cancer: the use of miRs in the characterization of canine mammary tumours, European Society of Veterinary Oncology Annual Congress
• 2013-05, Immortalization of primary canine cell lines from mammary tumors: a protocol optimization, XVIII Meeting of the Portuguese Society of Animal Pathology

Other output

• 2022, Contribuição ao estudo de histiocitomas cutâneos caninos em Bulldogs Franceses, Introdução: O histiocitoma cuta^neo canino e´ uma neoplasia benigna comum em cães jovens, com origem nas ce´lulas de Langerhans. Embora na~o esteja descrita uma predisposic¸a~o racial, dados pro´prios sugerem uma maior prevale^ncia deste tumor em Bulldogs Franceses (BF).Este estudo tem como objetivo, a caracterização epidemiológica destes tumores em BF e compara´-los com as outras raças, relativam