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Research Interests:

In general, I am interested in the structure and function of biological systems at different levels. In terms of basic research, I and other members of my group study molecular and cellular mechanism of physiological regulation, e.g., biological transport and signaling, genetic and epigenetic control. In much of our work, we develop these interests in the context of nutrition and metabolism: endocytic transport of nutrients, nutritional epigenetics, transport-function relations of hormones and other regulatory/metabolic factors.

We also research some of these topics in more of an applied context. Basic work on biological transport and transport proteins is also considered in a pathological or therapeutic perspective: basic studies on the endocytic transport of vitamins A, D, and other nutrients, for example, can contribute to a better understanding of the modulation of such transport in cancer cells, or more generally to the identification of pharmaco-modulators of the transport process. One of the nutrient/hormone transport proteins that we study, transthyretin, is also a factor in some amyloidogenic neurodegenerative diseases; its related cellular toxicity mechanisms are being investigated by our group. Another area of interest is that of dietary phytochemicals and human health, e.g., how they contribute to health and longevity, antioxidant activities, and how they may impact pathological processes involved in cancer, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and other chronic diseases. More specific studies of these and other topics are given in the publications selection below.

Recent theses supervised & Selected publications:

• Marín-Tello et al. (2022) Epigenetic regulation by metabolites from the gut microbiome. Ben. Microb. 13(6):437-443.
• Saeidi M, Vieira A (2021) Dietary factors and the Epigenetics of Liver  Disease. In Systems Medicine: Integrative, Qualitative and Computational Approaches, 2:404–408. Wolkenhauer (ed.), Oxford: Elsevier
• Fong et al. (2020) Receptor-mediated transport of the thyroid hormone carrier protein transthyretin. Endocrine Res. 45:131-136
• Fong et al. (2017) Disruption of endocytic transport by transthyretin aggregates. Int. J. Biochem. Cell Biol. 85:102-105.

• Wong et al. (2016) Activities of 1-(4-Hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)ethanone in cytotoxicity assays. Biomed. Pharm. 76:6-10.
• Pirani et al. (2013) Effects of estradiol on the endocytosis of vitamin D-binding protein in hepatocytes. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1830:3421-3426.
• Fong V Vieira A. (2013) Transthyretin aggregates induce production of reactive nitrogen species. Neurodeg. Dis. 11:42-48.
• Vieira A. (2011) Epigenetic regulation by retinoids. In Epigenetics in Nutrition. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford
• Beking K, Vieira A. (2010) Flavonoid intake and incidence of Alzheimers and related dementias: a population based study involving 23 developed countries. Public Health Nutr. 13:1403-09
• Aftab et al. (2010) Comparative antioxidant activities and synergism of resveratrol and oxyresveratrol. Nat. Prod. Res. 24:1726-33
• Yao Y, Vieira A. (2007) Protective activities of Vaccinium antioxidants with potential relevance to mitochondrial dysfunction and neurotoxicity. Neurotox. 28:93-100
• Huang J, Vieira, A. (2006) Evidence for a specific cell membrane retinol-binding protein transport mechanism in a human keratinocyte line. Int. J. Mol. Med. 17:627-31
• Vieira A. (2006) Atypical mutational properties of human chromosome 21 suggested by genome-scale analyses. Cytogen. Genome Res. 115:30-34
• Kyrylov et al. (2005) Modelling the human hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. IEEE Trans. Biomed. Engineer. 52:1977-1983.
• Vieira et al. (2003) Internalization of glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor receptor GFRalpha1 in the absence of the Ret tyrosine kinase co-receptor. Cell. Mol. Neurobiol. 23:43-55
• Kauppi et al. (2002) The small GTPase Rab22 interacts with EEA1 and controls endosomal membrane trafficking.  J. Cell Sci. 115, 899-911.
• Vieira A (2001) A mutant GTPase affects the efficiency of cholesterol transfer from cells to lipoprotein acceptors. Mol Gen Metabol 74:399-02
• Vieira et al. (1996) Control of EGF Receptor Signaling by Clathrin-mediated Endocytosis. Science 274:2086-2089
• Vieira et al. (1995) Receptor-mediated endocytosis of circulatory transthyretin by the avian oocyte. J. Biol. Chem. 270:2952-2956