Ana Grenha, professor and researcher at the University of Algarve, won (ex-aequo) the Robalo Cordeiro SPP/AstraZeneca/Novartis 2020 Award, awarded annually by the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology. The researcher and her team presented the project “Inhaled immunization – A strategy for respiratory diseases”.
The awarded project proposes an alternative to conventional vaccination, aimed at protecting against respiratory infections.
"In these infections, essentially the lung is affected, so it makes sense to try to trigger a strong immune response at a local level, in the affected organ, instead of vaccinating with an injectable, which will reach it with less intensity", he says. the investigator. “The idea is to make lung protection prevail”.
Regarding the methodology used, Ana Grenha explains: «we propose that the vaccine be administered via an inhalation, as is done, for example, with the administration of anti-asthmatic drugs, using an inhaler device».
The researcher adds that "the vaccine will be in the form of microparticles, which are dry powders, which will be inhaled by individuals."
The proposed project and the products that will be developed as a result have the ability to impact the quality of life of the population, as they will potentially improve the ability to respond to a respiratory infection, that is, they will provide greater protection for the individual.
The results to be obtained are highly translational (application of basic research results to clinical research). Ana Grenha and her team believe that these aspects were decisive in selecting this project for the award.
The Robalo Cordeiro Award is awarded annually and has a value of 10 euros. It is a partnership between Novartis, which supports it, and the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology (SPP), which gives it its scientific endorsement, contributing to reward a new generation of scientists dedicated to research in the respiratory area.
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