On August 12, 2026, the Octavio Frias de Oliveira Award ceremony took place. The award is organized in partnership between the Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (Icesp) and Folha de S. Paulo.
The opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Dr. William Carlos Nahas, Professor at the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (USP) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (Icesp), who highlighted the importance of the Octavio Frias de Oliveira Award, now in its 17th edition.
Next, Vinicius Mota, Executive Editor of Folha de S. Paulo, spoke about the interest of the newspaper’s publisher, Octavio Frias de Oliveira, after whom the award is named, in initiatives focused on health research, as well as the importance of science and health journalism to Folha.
Prof. Dr. Paulo Hoff, Professor at FMUSP and Technical Director of the Oncology Division at Icesp, and Chair of the award’s Judging Committee, spoke about the creation of the award and its aim of recognizing Brazilian scientific initiatives, acknowledging both initiatives that contribute to established knowledge and those that constitute innovations.
Following the opening remarks, the winners were announced. In the Oncology Research category, the winning work was High mtDNA content identifies oxidative phosphorylation-driven acute myeloid leukemias and represents a therapeutic vulnerability. The award was received by Dr. Juan Luiz Coelho-Silva.
The study found that, in patients with acute myeloid leukemia, high mitochondrial DNA content is a biomarker indicating tumor resistance to chemotherapy. This finding helps predict which patients will be resistant to chemotherapy, supporting the planning of more effective treatment. In addition, the finding represents a biological vulnerability that could be exploited in the development of new therapies.
In the Technological Innovation in Oncology category, the winning research was Nose-to-Brain Delivery of Biomimetic Nanoparticles for Glioblastoma Targeted Therapy. The award was received by Dr. Natália Noronha Ferreira.
The innovation consists of the development of biomimetic nanoparticles capable of delivering chemotherapy drugs to treat glioblastoma—one of the most aggressive brain cancers—through the nasal route. This allows the treatment to cross fewer barriers and reach the brain more directly. This new route may be more effective than oral administration, require lower drug doses, and result in fewer side effects.
In the Outstanding Personality category, the winner was Prof. Dr. Luisa Lina Villa, a professor at the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), head of the Cancer Innovation Laboratory at the Center for Translational Research in Oncology of the Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (Icesp), and a C2PO member researcher.
Professor Villa was recognized for her decades of research on HPV, which helped establish the relationship between HPV infection and the occurrence of several types of cancer in women and men, particularly cervical cancer. Prof. Luisa Villa also played a key role in advancing public policies for the adoption of HPV vaccines, with evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of vaccination.
Prof. Luisa Lina Villa spoke about the importance of scientific communication, particularly regarding HPV vaccines: “There is an immense challenge in getting people to health services for HPV vaccination so that we can prevent the development of cancer.”
When asked what needs to change to increase vaccination rates, the Professor said that vaccination is only possible with political will, and that this step has already been achieved in Brazil, as HPV vaccination is now an established public policy. However, communication efforts and the fight against misinformation about vaccines and health are still needed so that eligible people go to health centers and get immunized. She noted that cervical cancer could be eradicated: “The prospect of eliminating cervical cancer through vaccination and screening is real.”
Addressing the challenges ahead, Prof. Luisa Lina Villa said that current HPV research is focused on developing new therapies for HPV-related cancers. She also identified attracting new researchers to scientific research on HPV as another challenge.
In a conversation with journalist Cláudia Colucci, health special correspondent for Folha de S. Paulo, the winners answered questions about the specific aspects of their work and the prospects for implementing their findings and innovations.
Dr. Juan Luiz Coelho-Silva explained that, in the coming years, the research should move into the clinical phase, being applied to patients and implemented in the public healthcare system. Both highlighted science funding as an important challenge to be addressed in order to produce cutting-edge research in Brazil, and emphasized the importance of collaboration among different scientists and institutions to achieve results. The researcher also highlighted the choice of metformin because of its well-established safety profile, which could accelerate its adoption. Preliminary data indicate primary efficacy, but the proof of concept is still underway. Further clinical research stages and two-arm randomized studies are still needed.
Dr. Natália Noronha Ferreira pointed out that the next step is to study how methylated and unmethylated cell lines respond to the compound using this route of administration, which could represent an advance in the treatment of a glioblastoma subtype that is even more difficult to treat with current methods. She also shared plans to conduct research in animal models with induced tumors before proceeding to clinical studies and bringing the innovation to patients.
Both winning studies received contributions from researchers who are C2PO members.
At the end of the ceremony, the awards were presented to the winners. Prof. Dr. Roger Chammas, Professor at FMUSP and Coordinator of the Center for Translational Research in Oncology (CTO) at Icesp, presented the award to Dr. Natália Noronha Ferreira. Prof. Dr. Paulo Hoff presented the award to Dr. Juan Luiz Coelho-Silva. Vinicius Mota presented the award to Prof. Dr. Luisa Lina Villa.
