Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Research Institute opens new unit
In addition to the current spaces, the third structure will have seven laboratories and large equipment
The Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Research Institute, the only social project in the world sponsored by the King of Football that carries his name, opened a new unit, in the Cabral district, in Curitiba (state of Paraná). With the expansion, the Institute now has an area of 450 square meters, housing seven more laboratories and large equipment that the current spaces cannot accommodate. The new structure will improve the development of more than 120 ongoing scientific studies.
In addition to the multi-user laboratories intended for different experiments, the third unit has two ultrasonic laboratories for in vitro tests, a natural product laboratory for identifying new active principles, and a chromatography and proteomics laboratory, which will make up the Institute technology park. These last two will allow the development of new research projects applied to assistance. The goal of the main project is to discover the factors related to the therapeutic response to certain medications – mainly used in oncology treatment – by investigating biomarkers in the patients’ proteome. The other complementary study will develop protocols to monitor the concentration of medication in the blood, allowing rapid dose adjustment and avoiding subtherapeutic concentrations with no effect or supratherapeutic concentrations with potential toxic effects on the patient. In both cases, the objective will be to offer patients individualized and assertive treatment.
“Conducting scientific research in Brazil is a huge challenge. The expansion of the Institute with the inauguration of an additional unit is another bold step by Pequeno Príncipe, which has always favored investing in knowledge, innovation, research, and humanization in favor of children and youth health. These are 17 years of valuing science, extremely important for discoveries and innovations, essential for guiding public policies, generating applications of commercial value, and improving people’s quality of life through the search for new forms of diagnosis and treatment,” highlights the director-general of the Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Research Institute, Ety Cristina Forte Carneiro.
With the support of the greatest football player of all time, the Institute was created in 2006 to reduce child and youth mortality through research into complex diseases that affect this population. As it is a philanthropic, non-profit institution, the partnership with the King of Football was essential to guarantee visibility and resources for numerous studies to be carried out, benefiting thousands of children and adolescents.
King Pelé Day
The inauguration of the new unit was scheduled to take place on the eve of King Pelé Day, celebrated on November 19th. The creation of the date was an initiative by Pequeno Príncipe, and it gained echo in the Curitiba City Council and the State House of Representatives, with approval of the tribute in the municipality and the state of Paraná. The day was chosen for the athlete’s thousandth goal, scored on the same date in 1969, and which he dedicated to children. “I take this opportunity to ask all Brazilians not to forget poor children, not to forget those in need,” Pelé said at that time.
The expectation now is for the creation of National King Pelé Day, states the corporate director of Pequeno Príncipe Complex, José Álvaro da Silva Carneiro. According to him, the player’s contribution was essential to the results of research that benefits children and young people throughout Brazil, but that goes beyond borders. “His support has opened and continues to open many doors in national and international fundraising. He brought us closer to athletes and brought visibility to science and the Institute. Having Pelé on the team encouraged us to produce scientific knowledge to serve children and adolescents and move forward in the difficult mission of serving children well and honoring the king’s social legacy,” he considers.
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