Lung tissue samples from 47 people who died as a result of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by the novel coronavirus were analyzed by Brazilian researchers. The findings can be used to improve treatment of the disease.
A study by the University of São Paulo shows that where the Negro River is very wide certain plants found on one bank are not found on the other. Overall, however, the extraordinary variety of species is due more to ecology than geography.
Liver recipients who contracted SARS-CoV-2 recovered faster and with less inflammation than heart or kidney recipients, according to researchers at the University of São Paulo. The reason may have to do with differing amounts and types of immunosuppressants, the drugs used to prevent organ rejection.
Experts who took part in the fourth FAPESP 60 Years Conference discussed the challenges of diagnosing and combating emerging pathogens and the need to integrate multidisciplinary teams and governments if outbreaks of infectious disease are to be prevented.
Electric eels of the species Electrophorus varii feed on other fish, especially those habitually hunted by larger predators such as caimans and giant river otters. Hunting tactics enable them to maintain the same diet in the wet and dry seasons alike.
Molecules that attack cells and tissues in the patient’s own organism were detected in blood serum from volunteers infected by SARS-CoV-2, who progressed to moderate or severe COVID-19 after the samples were collected. The discovery could lead to novel therapeutic approaches.
A study by Brazilian researchers evidenced a correlation between post-zika neurological complications and high levels of Gas6, a protein that facilitates viral replication. The findings are published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
Designed and built by researchers at the Center for Development of Functional Materials, the device is much cheaper than the conventional technology.
In an online seminar held by FAPESP, experts stressed that deforestation favors pathogen spillover from wild animals to humans, and that zoonotic disease surveillance urgently needs to be upgraded.
Loss of ACE2, the protein used by the novel coronavirus to invade human cells, leads to an imbalance in systems that regulate essential metabolic functions, impairing blood filtration and causing kidney injuries that can become permanent.
To achieve a deeper understanding of the links between the nervous and immune systems, researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo inhibited the REM stage of sleep in mice to see how this affected the progress of infectious diseases, allergic processes and cancer treatment.
In older people, the probability of falling was reduced by a factor of 7 in a study conducted at the University of São Paulo. Constant use of rigid or reinforced footwear is the main enemy of healthy feet, according to the researchers.
Participants in a webinar held by FAPESP pointed to disorganization of the research ecosystem, lack of government planning and underinvestment as obstacles to drug development in Brazil.
Brazilian scientists have developed an innovation that can be used in sensors to monitor brain function with even greater sensitivity than existing devices.
The use of a hypertonic solution of sodium chloride at 1.1% reduced viral replication by 88% in tests involving infected lung cells conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo. If found efficacious in clinical trials, the strategy could contribute to the development of novel prophylactic interventions and therapies for COVID-19.
Study led by researchers at the University of São Paulo analyzed data for the period 1991-2014 and revealed that deforestation increased in election years. The phenomenon could cancel out the environmental gains achieved by conservation policies and actions, the scientists warn.
After six weeks of a low-calorie diet, the pattern of gene expression in obese women became more similar to that of non-obese women in the same age group. Genes associated with cancer became less active.
One of the most promising fields is photovoltaics. Prototype perovskite solar cells have been shown to be more efficient than commercial silicon-based cells.
Technology developed by a startup with FAPESP’s support dispenses with manual inspection, diagnosing problems rapidly and accurately, facilitating preventive maintenance, and cutting costs.
For the first time in Brazil, the RNA of SARS-CoV-2 has been directly sequenced by researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo, who studied the biochemical changes that determine the pathogen’s biology and how it is evolving.
Analysis of data for more than 400,000 people shows that increasing the proportion of vigorous exercise reduces mortality by 17% compared with people who get only moderate exercise.
With the support of NGOs, universities and business, the inhabitants of small towns in the Amazon are practicing a self-sustaining circular economy in which waste is converted into inputs for production.
The hypothesis was raised by scientists at a FAPESP-funded research center, on the basis of an epidemiological survey involving 1,744 Brazilian couples where at least one partner was infected.
A system for identifying people and controlling access developed by a Brazilian startup lets guests check in remotely and open room doors using smartphones.
The third event in the series FAPESP 60 Years featured three researchers who are leading experts in the area: Donatella della Porta, Sérgio Adorno, and Michel Misse.
