When a scientist says he “believes” in a scientific project, it feels something different. It is estimated that it is not just a belief and, behind this conviction, there is a method, a research process, data, a lot of study and experiences – although not yet evidence for the specific case of application.
And, in fact, when Victoria Leiro says that she “really believes” that the project she is working on could improve stroke diagnosis or that she is “convinced that it has a lot of potential,” she means it. Because while I can’t say for sure yet, preliminary testing indicates just that: that you’re on the right path.
It may be surprising, but what the scientist is trying to solve with this project is a problem that ordinary mortals do not even know exists. When we think about tests such as Computerized Axial Tomography (CT) we imagine infallible machines, capable of capturing clear images of the inside of our body, which dispel any doubts that may exist. It is not the case. And this statistic proves it: in the diagnosis of stroke, CT yields up to 30% false negatives. Of every 100 people who have suffered a stroke, there are 30 who are not correctly identified by the examination that is usually performed for diagnosis.
The CT image is generated through the use of x-rays and in many cases, including in the diagnosis of stroke, this image is enhanced using a contrast agent that is administered to the patient to improve the definition of the image. It is this agent that allows, in many cases, better visualization of the blood vessels.
The contrast agents most currently used for computed tomography are based on iodine molecules, which contain three or six iodine atoms per molecule,” explains Victoria Leiro. The contrast agent that the scientist is developing will have 81 iodine atoms per molecule. In practical terms, this means that they hope to obtain an image definition that could be up to 27 times higher than the contrasts currently used, which will allow smaller doses to be used.
This new contrast is based on a technology developed by the researcher, with a patent already approved in the United States and Europe, based on dendrimers – macromolecules with spherical and branched nanostructure – that are biodegradable. This feature is also an innovation and an advantage. “As the contrast agents we have developed are completely biodegradable, they can be broken down into small fragments that the body can easily excrete,” explains the scientist.
In this phase, the researcher is already carrying out in vitro tests to verify biocompatibility and also the first CT imaging tests, with a proof of concept in mice to verify the effectiveness of the compound. “The testing and approval processes are long and time-consuming, because a contrast agent is considered a drug, but if everything goes well, including financing, this new contrast could reach clinical practice in about 10 years,” he explains. . Although the scientist is currently focusing on the diagnosis of stroke, this new compound could also be used to diagnose other diseases, such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as for interventions in cardiology.
The 45-year-old scientist, born in Monterroso, Galicia, Spain, was a brilliant student in high school. Not only was she the best in her class: she obtained the highest grade in all of Galicia in the university entrance test. “Like almost all outstanding science students, they tried to advise me to study medicine. But I already knew that my vocation was Chemistry, I realized this in high school because I felt that for me chemistry was not about studying, it was a hobby, like doing Sudoku. It was something I really enjoyed learning.”
She completed her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at the University of Santiago de Compostela – once again, the best student of that degree at the university and also in the Autonomous Community of Galicia – and, later, the master’s degree and doctorate, at the same university, In Organic Chemistry, the idea was always to investigate biomaterials applied to the biomedical field, so he carried out his first postdoctoral degree in collaboration with a biotechnology company in Madrid where he began to work on the development of anticancer dendrimers for some types of solid tumors.
He arrived in Porto in 2011, to carry out a new postdoctorate, this time in the academic field, at the INEB-Institute of Biomedical Engineering and at the i3S-Institute of Research and Innovation in Health, and his research focuses on the development of new biodegradable products. Nanobiomaterials for biomedical applications. “I am Galician, but here I feel at home, both at work and in the city. “I was supposed to stay three years and I’ve been living here for almost 13.” And think about continuing.
He still likes desk work, but he is responsible for the chemical synthesis team in the NanoBiomaterials for Targeted Therapies group, which means that more work is now done on the computer. “I like to get my hands dirty, but now I also have other responsibilities: guiding students, organizing their work and experiences, meetings, writing projects to apply for funding, writing or correcting articles…” All of this takes a lot of time, although some of this does not necessarily means results. “Writing an application for a competitive funding project takes between three weeks and a month, and the chances of success are usually less than 10%,” he explains.
Now that he is beginning to come into contact with the world of startups and product development, he will not abandon this path in the near future. “I don’t want to leave aside academic research, which I can say I love – in fact, the work relaxes me a lot – but who knows, maybe start a startup with one of the products I develop, being more in contact with the industry . Because, like I said, I really believe in the potential of these compounds that we have developed.”
This article is part of a series on cutting-edge scientific research and is a collaboration between Observador, the “la Caixa” Foundation and BPI. The project led by Victoria Leiro, from the Institute of Health Research and Innovation (i3S), of the University of Porto, was one of those selected to be financed by the Barcelona-based foundation in collaboration with the Foundation for Science and Technology. Technology, in the framework In the 2023 edition of the CaixaImpulse Innovation in Health grants, the researcher received 49 thousand euros to develop the project for three years. The CaixaImpulse Innovation aid helps transfer scientific knowledge to society and encourages the creation of new products, services and companies related to the life sciences.
Source: Observadora
