"la Caixa" Foundation funds biomedical research at U.Porto

The 2025 CaixaImpulse Health Innovation programme, launched by the "la Caixa” Foundation in partnership with the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), has awarded €50,000 to seven biomedical research projects in Portugal. These include groundbreaking projects from i3S (University of Porto) and INEGI, both based at U.Porto.

One notable project, led by Joana Caldeira from i3S, aims to develop an innovative, injectable therapy for chronic lumbar pain, inspired by fetal regenerative environments. This therapy hopes to replace invasive surgeries, offering a long-term, safe solution for millions of sufferers.

Another promising project, led by Elisabete Silva from INEGI, focuses on creating a biodegradable implant for treating pelvic organ prolapse (POP), a condition affecting many women. The implant will incorporate drug release systems to prevent infections and improve recovery, providing a safer alternative to traditional polypropylene meshes.

This year, €3.8 million has been allocated to support 31 biomedical projects from Spain and Portugal. The programme also offers mentoring and guidance to help researchers bring their innovations closer to the market. Since 2015, CaixaImpulse has funded 263 projects and helped create 54 spin-offs.