Reinaldo Sousa Dos Santos

I completed my PhD studies at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ, Brazil), having authored 5 articles (3 as 1º author, 1ºAu) and 2 book chapters (as 1ºAu).
After obtaining my PhD in Jan/13, I moved to the ULB Center for Diabetes Research (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium) with a postdoctoral scholarship from the  Science without Borders Program (CNPq, Brazil). Under the supervision of Dr. Decio Eizirik, I worked on different research topics: a) We showed that the candidate genes for type 1 diabetes BACH2 (PMID: 24608439), TYK2 (PMID: 26239055) and DEXI (PMID: 30478640; 1ºAu) participate in the regulation of pro-apoptotic pathways in ß-cells; b) By comparing a- and ß-cells upon coxsackievirus B infection, we observed that a-cells are more resistant to viral infection than ß-cells due to a more efficient antiviral response (PMID: 26061776; co-1ºAu); c) We showed that complement C3 act as a ß-cell survival mechanism under a proinflammatory attack (PMID: 28582497; 1ºAu and Corresp. author); d) We described mutations in the gene DUT that caused a syndrome with bone marrow failure and diabetes (PMID: 28073829; 1ºAu); and e): Our studies about the role of interferon-a (IFNa) in ß-cells demonstrated that IFNa induces a long-lasting overexpression of MHC class, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and ß-cell apoptosis (PMID: 28062922; 29305625; both as co-1ºAu). We also showed that type I and type II IFNs regulated PDL1 expression in ß-cells (PMID: 30269996).
Towards the end of my postdoc, I received the  EFSD Albert Renold Travel Fellowship to work at the Diabetes Research Unit, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche (UMH, Spain). Under supervision of Dr. Angel Nadal, I studied IFNa effects on Ca2+ oscillations in ß-cells (Oct-Dec/17). Upon Dr. Nadal’s invitation, I moved to the Institute of Research, Development and Innovation in Healthcare Biotechnology of Elche (IDiBE/UMH, Spain). In 2018, we published reviews about endocrine disruptors and mitochondria (PMID: 30072426; Corresp. author), and bisphenol-A (BPA) exposure and diabetes (PMID: 30429829). At IDiBE, I generated the following results: a) Our findings indicate that BPA and its analogs, BPS and BPF, alter ion channel expression and activity, as well as ß-cell function (PMID: 31250031; 33250229); b) We showed that a crosstalk among the estrogen receptors ERa, ERß, and GPER mediates BPA-induced ß-cell apoptosis (PMID: 35461094; co-1ºAu), and c) we proposed test methods to identify chemicals with diabetogenic activity in a- and ß-cells (PMID: 35563431; 36613676). In parallel, I worked with Dr. Laura Marroqui. We wrote a book chapter discussing the role of type I IFNs on ß-cells (PMID: 33832648; Corresp. author), showed that Bcl-xL protects ß-cells from pro-apoptotic insults (PMID: 36982731; co-1ºAu), and that deucravacitinib, a TYK2 inhibitor, protected ß-cells against the effects of cytokines (PMID: 37854597; 1ºAu and Corresp. author). We recently published two Reviews discussing the roles of gut microbiota (PMID: 39420751), and Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL in diabetes (PMID: 39857806; Corresp. author).
I currently work as a  Miguel Servet Researcher  (ISCIII) at Fisabio/Hospital General Universitario de Elche and co-lead the Islet Biology Lab at IDiBE/UMH. I serve as the principal investigator for two projects: Molecular characterization of the crosstalk between type 1 diabetes candidate genes and coxsackievirus B (Miguel Servet contract CP23/00026) and Targeting IFNalfa pathway with protein-protein interaction inhibitors as a therapeutic strategy for T1D (EASD and Lilly European Diabetes Research). As of March 2025, I have published 30 scientific articles (14 as 1ºAu and/or Corresp. author) in international peer-reviewed journals, which have more than 1,100 citations (h-index of 19), according to the Scopus databases. Moreover, my work has been presented in more than 100 national and international conferences. I serve as Review Editor for Front. Endocrinology and as a Reviewer for multiple journals, such as Diabetes and J. Autoimmunity. Finally, I am an external lecturer at UMH (Biotechnology and Bioengineering Master’s Program) and UFRJ (Biological Chemistry Graduate Program). I have organized 8 academic events, including 6 international workshops (2019–2021), a regional diabetes workshop (2021), and an academic week at UFRJ (2010). During my PhD at UFRJ, I have coordinated 3 undergraduate short courses and 16 courses introducing the scientific method to middle and high school students.