forcing genetic instability and triggering selective destruction
At the University of Porto, a research team has developed a molecule that strikes at one of cancer's most fundamental defenses — its ability to repair its own DNA. The COMBEAT project, led by Lucília Saraiva and recognized this year with the Basinnov Innovation Award, targets aggressive cancers that have long resisted conventional treatment, not by narrowing toward a genetic elite but by broadening the reach of hope. In a field where resistance and limitation define the landscape, this work asks whether science might finally outpace the adaptability of the disease itself.
- Patients with pancreatic, ovarian, triple-negative breast, and castration-resistant prostate cancers face some of medicine's bleakest prognoses, and existing therapies often fail them once resistance sets in.
- Current treatments are frequently locked behind genetic gatekeeping — only patients with specific mutations like BRCA alterations qualify — leaving the majority without targeted options.
- COMBEAT's molecule disrupts two DNA repair pathways at once, forcing genetic chaos in tumor cells and triggering their selective destruction, a mechanism that sidesteps the mutation-dependency problem.
- Preclinical results show not only strong antitumor and anti-metastatic activity but also a safety profile that could allow lower therapeutic doses, reducing the toxic burden patients endure.
- The Basinnov Innovation Award, presented in May at Coimbra's Convent of Saint Francis, formally recognized COMBEAT's disruptive potential and Portugal's growing role in the oncology innovation ecosystem.
A team at the University of Porto has found a way to turn one of cancer's greatest strengths against it. Tumor cells survive in part by repairing their own damaged DNA — a mechanism that allows them to withstand many existing therapies. The COMBEAT project, led by pharmacist and researcher Lucília Saraiva of REQUIMTE, developed a molecule that blocks two of these repair pathways simultaneously, forcing genetic instability in cancer cells until they destroy themselves.
What sets this approach apart is its reach. Most targeted cancer therapies depend on patients carrying specific genetic mutations — a condition that excludes large portions of those who need help most. COMBEAT's compound showed strong antitumor and anti-metastatic activity across four of oncology's hardest cases: pancreatic, ovarian, triple-negative breast, and castration-resistant prostate cancer. It also demonstrated a favorable safety profile and the ability to enhance conventional treatments, potentially allowing doctors to lower doses and spare patients some of the toxicity that often accompanies aggressive therapy.
The work earned recognition at the 2026 Basinnov Innovation Award ceremony, held in May at the Convent of Saint Francis in Coimbra — a gathering of Portugal's leading voices in health innovation and biotechnology. The award, established in 2024 to identify disruptive solutions in oncology and immunotherapy, honored COMBEAT not only for its scientific novelty but for its translational promise: the possibility that laboratory discovery might become clinical reality for patients who currently have nowhere left to turn.
A research team at the University of Porto has developed a novel approach to treating some of the most aggressive and resistant cancers, work that earned recognition this year from the Basinnov Innovation Award. The project, called COMBEAT, centers on a molecule designed to interfere with how tumor cells repair their DNA—a fundamental survival mechanism that current therapies often cannot touch.
Lucília Saraiva, a faculty member at the University of Porto's School of Pharmacy and researcher with REQUIMTE, leads the effort. The team's innovation works by blocking two essential pathways simultaneously, forcing genetic instability in cancer cells and triggering their selective destruction. Unlike existing treatments, which often work only for patients with specific genetic mutations like BRCA alterations, this compound shows promise across a broader population of patients. That distinction matters enormously in oncology, where treatment options narrow sharply once a cancer develops resistance.
The preclinical evidence is substantial. Laboratory and animal studies revealed strong antitumor and anti-metastatic activity across four particularly difficult cancer types: pancreatic, ovarian, triple-negative breast cancer, and castration-resistant prostate cancer. Beyond efficacy, the compound demonstrated a promising safety profile—meaning it appears to cause fewer harmful side effects than many current therapies. Researchers also found it could enhance conventional treatments, potentially allowing doctors to use lower doses and reduce the burden of toxicity patients endure.
The Basinnov Innovation Award, established in 2024, seeks out disruptive therapeutic solutions in oncology and immunotherapy. The award ceremony took place in May at the Convent of Saint Francis in Coimbra, drawing together Portugal's leading figures in health innovation and biotechnology. The program included presentations on recent advances in cancer immunotherapy and a panel discussion on translating research into patient care—a theme that underscores the gap between laboratory discovery and clinical reality.
What makes COMBEAT significant is not just the science but its translational potential. The research addresses a genuine clinical need: patients with aggressive cancers that resist standard treatment have few options. By developing a therapy that works across multiple cancer types and genetic backgrounds, the team is working toward treatments that could help more patients, not fewer. The award recognizes both the innovation itself and its capacity to improve survival and quality of life for people facing some of medicine's most difficult challenges.
Citações Notáveis
The compound induces genetic instability and promotes selective destruction of tumor cells, independent of BRCA mutations, representing significant advancement over current therapies limited to specific genetic profiles— COMBEAT research findings
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does it matter that this molecule works across different genetic profiles, rather than just for BRCA mutations?
Because most patients don't have BRCA mutations. Current therapies are like keys designed for specific locks—they work brilliantly if you have the right genetic lock, but leave everyone else without options. This compound works differently. It forces cancer cells into a corner regardless of their genetic background.
What happens in those preclinical studies that makes researchers confident this could actually work in people?
They watched the compound destroy tumor cells in laboratory conditions and in animal models of four major cancers. But more importantly, the cancer didn't come back as aggressively, and the compound didn't seem to poison healthy tissue the way many chemotherapies do. That safety profile is what separates a promising idea from something doctors might actually use.
If it's so promising, why isn't it in patients yet?
Because preclinical means it works in the lab and in animals. Humans are vastly more complex. The next steps are clinical trials—first in small groups to confirm safety, then larger groups to prove it actually extends survival. That takes years and millions of euros.
What does an award like this actually do for the research?
It validates the work publicly, attracts funding attention, and signals to pharmaceutical companies and investors that this is worth backing. It's also recognition that Portugal is doing serious oncology research, not just importing solutions from elsewhere.
Who benefits if this works?
Anyone with pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, aggressive breast cancer, or prostate cancer that has stopped responding to standard treatment. Those are some of the hardest cancers to treat. Right now, their options narrow quickly.