The emergence of rabies in distinct wildlife species is a potential source of human infection and poses life-threatening risks. As the researchers responsible for the discovery warn, anyone who comes into contact with these animals should alert the authorities. A 36-year-old farm worker died in May, only weeks after being bitten by a marmoset.
Center for Research on Redox Processes in Biomedicine
Scientists at the University of São Paulo’s Center for Research on Redox Processes in Biomedicine used a novel technique they themselves developed to identify altered molecules in an animal model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
FGV Analytics is a partnership involving FAPESP, Getúlio Vargas Foundation, the University of São Paulo and the São Paulo State Department of Public Safety. Its mission includes fostering development of evaluation tools and evidence-based public policy.
Results of trials involving animals, cell cultures and human heart tissue are reported in the European Heart Journal. The study was conducted by researchers at USP in partnership with a biopharmaceutical firm, offering hope to 2 million Brazilians who suffer from the disease.
Center for Research on Inflammatory Diseases
An article published in PNAS by Brazilian and Australian researchers describes a hitherto unknown protein with anti-oxidizing properties secreted by Coxiella burnetii, a Gram-negative intracellular bacterium, pointing to possible treatments for auto-immune diseases and even cancer.
This was a consensus among representatives of funding agencies in the Americas who met virtually in October under the aegis of the Global Research Council. A previous event discussed funding for research relating to artificial intelligence in Latin America.
Highlighted on the cover of the journal Biochemistry, a study by Brazilian researchers shows that a chemical change called pyroglutamination can occur spontaneously during peptide synthesis. The discovery has implications for laboratory experiments and research on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other diseases associated with the formation of amyloid aggregates.
The test developed by Brazilian researchers accurately identifies the causative agent in less than two hours, so that treatment can be properly targeted. Brazil is seeing a growing number of cases of co-infection by protozoans Leishmania infantum and Crithidia.
A study compared geographical and socioeconomic dimensions of the disease in São Paulo and the Barretos region. Incidence was far higher in the former but mortality rates were similar, suggesting overdiagnosis in specific areas and social groups.
Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo analyzed allegedly biodegradable plastic items sold by 40 supermarkets and found most to be oxo-degradables, banned in several countries because they contribute significantly to microplastic pollution. Bills currently before Brazil’s Congress would regulate the sale of such products.
A study conducted in sustainable-use reserves shows that local game species become less abundant about 5 kilometers away from the nearest human community, but the negative effects of anthropic activity can be mitigated by appropriate management strategies.
In nematode worms exposed to a compound secreted by pathogenic bacteria, researchers observed activation of a neural circuit resulting in a longer lifespan and less protein aggregation, one of the causes of neurodegenerative diseases. The discovery paves the way for the development of treatments for age-related diseases.
Brazilian researchers showed that brain activity of Ndel1, an enzyme that plays an important role in neuron differentiation and migration, decreased in mice infected by zika during pregnancy. The enzyme could become a biomarker for early diagnosis of the congenital syndrome associated with zika.
The product, which contains the anti-inflammatory protein annexin A1, accelerated complete skin wound healing in mice, and has the potential to become part of the arsenal of treatments for a disease that affects 17.7 million Brazilians.
Center for Cell-Based Therapy
Opened in 2022 with FAPESP’s support, Nutera is Latin America’s first cellular product manufacturing plant. It is run by researchers from Butantan Institute and the University of São Paulo’s Ribeirão Preto Blood Center, and could become a supplier to the SUS, Brazil’s public healthcare network.
This is one of the findings of a study led by Brazilian scientists and reported in the science journal Fire. The researchers built a model based on images from the SENTINEL-2 satellite and were able to detect burned areas much more accurately.
