On Thursday (18), the event “Ciência à Medida” (Tailor Made Science) will take place at Casa das Caldeiras, between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. The initiative is promoted as part of the Cross-3DTool-4ALS research project: Cooperation and technology transfer for the development of a new precision medicine platform for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), led by CNC-UC.
The science communication activity “Ciência à Medida” aims to bring together children, teenagers, young people, adults, scientists, and doctors to talk about ALS, a rare neurodegenerative disease, allowing diverse audiences to ask questions and deepen their knowledge about the disease and its impacts.
It will be attended by the leader of the Cross-3DTool-4ALS project and researcher at the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology at UC (CNC-UC) and the Center for Innovation in Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CiBB), Elisabete Ferreiro, the specialist in Neurology and Neurophysiology, Anabela Matos, and the technical director of APELA – Portuguese Association for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Filipe Gonçalves. The session will be moderated by the coordinator of the Science Communication Office of CNC-UC/CiBB, Sara Amaral.
The event is free to attend, but prior registration is required here. It will also be broadcast live on the 3DTool-4ALS YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@Cross3DTool4ALS.
The Cross-3DTool-4ALS project, led by CNC-UC, aims to improve knowledge about ALS, a rare neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive loss of muscle control due to the deterioration of motor neurons, which are responsible for transmitting nerve impulses. It is funded with more than €750,000 (€757,895.46) by the European Commission – under the Interreg Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Program (POCTEP) 2021-2027 and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Currently, scientific knowledge about the mechanisms that cause the disease remains limited and there are no effective treatments – only the drug Riluzole is authorized in Europe, offering a modest effect in slowing the progression of the disease. In parallel, non-pharmacological therapies (such as physical and speech rehabilitation, psychological, nutritional, and respiratory support) are used to alleviate symptoms and preserve the quality of life of people with the disease.
More information about the Cross-3DTool-4ALS project is available at https://cross3dtool4als.com/.
