The project by the teams of Medical Oncology and Clinical Pharmacology of Hospital da Luz Lisboa was a finalist in the 2023 MSD Award of Research in Health, coming in second place and being distinguished with the first honorable mention. The project counts with the participation of the NOVA Medical School Department of Immunology and the Unit of Research in Molecular Pathobiology of the Portuguese Institute of Oncology in Lisbon. The presentation of the project – entitled “Predicting Efficacy and Toxicity of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: a Role for Interleukin 7” – happened on November 11 and was done by Inês Margarido , Medical Oncology internist at Hospital da Luz. “Our study views to evaluate a variant of the IL-7 gene and the levels of IL-7 in blood plasma, as biomarkers of immune mediated toxicity, in a population of patients with non-melanoma cancer. Furthermore, we will also investigate the relationship between this polymorphism and the IL-7 plasmatic levels, with the response rate to treatment”, she explained. This blood analysis could help identify patients who are at greater risk of suffering adverse effects, allowing for more rigorous surveillance and earlier introduction of treatment, avoiding serious toxicities. The MSD Award of Research in Health is an initiative of the pharmaceutical Merck Sharp & Dohme Portugal. It aims to distinguish protocols of research in the area of health, that are innovative and have a real impact on health, acknowledging and supporting their implementation. The first prize was granted, this year, to a study project by Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, and the second honorable mention was bestowed to the project by the Institute of Research and Innovation in Health, of Porto University.
