Researchers at the University of São Paulo detected SARS-CoV-2 on the ocular surface in 18.2% of samples taken from patients hospitalized with the disease. The findings point to an alternative to nasopharyngeal swabbing and highlight the need for health workers to protect themselves from infection by ocular fluids.
An article by researchers at the State University of Campinas in Sport, Education and Society investigates the dark side of Olympic fame. The lead author’s PhD research included interviews with former gymnasts in the Brazilian team.
Results of in vitro tests are described by researchers at the University of São Paulo in the journal Scientific Reports point to avenues for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Scientists who analyzed the combined use of two drugs – paclitaxel and immune checkpoint inhibitors – made discoveries that could pave the way for future research to combat the pain caused by other diseases.
A study analyzed changes to the built environment to promote physical activity in Brazil’s largest city between 2015 and 2020, using data from online public libraries as well as the city and state governments.
In Brazil, researchers tracked 80 patients with moderate and severe forms of the disease for up to six months after they left hospital. Muscle impairment during hospitalization was also a predictor of higher healthcare costs in the ensuing months.
In experiments conducted by scientists at the University of São Paulo, the performance of a model obtained in a 3D printer was equivalent to that of the conventional model produced manually. The biomimetic material can be produced on a large scale, reducing animal testing by the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.
A company funded by FAPESP’s program to support innovation by small businesses is launching a dietary supplement for consumer hair care.
Flexible copper device identifies lead and cadmium in sweat and can be used by untrained personnel to monitor exposure to toxic materials.
Stress, burnout, pain and poor sleep were some of the most frequent symptoms reported by nursing and other staff who care for patients in a study conducted by researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos in São Paulo state, Brazil.
Brazilian researchers have discovered that central nervous system cells from patients with schizophrenia secrete substances that reduce the thickness of blood vessels in the brain, possibly leading to diminished metabolic flux in some parts of the CNS.
Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo and Butantan Institute used several advanced techniques to analyze the venom of the Orange banded tarantula Acanthoscurria juruenicola and tested its capacity to paralyze crickets. The findings could contribute to the development of biodiversity-based solutions.
Neuropathic pain is chronic and caused by injury to the nervous system, affecting between 3% and 15% of the population. The only treatment options currently available are drugs originally developed for other conditions, such as epilepsy or depression.
The study involved 146 patients, 74 of whom were treated with an antivenom produced by Butantan Institute in São Paulo. The results showed the antivenom to be safe and effective, especially if it is administered within 48 hours.
The dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variant substitution in the town where a clinical trial of vaccination effectiveness was conducted matched the pattern seen elsewhere in the country, but most cases were mild. The researchers analyzed 4,375 whole genomes of the virus.
In experiments involving rats, researchers at the University of São Paulo analyzed the effects of celecoxib and indomethacin. The results are published in Scientific Reports.
A group of researchers in Brazil and the UK have developed a method to track seroprevalence in real time. An article in the journal eLife shows how this was done in the case of SARS-CoV-2, providing a “portrait” of the first year of COVID-19 in Brazil.
The findings of the study, which involved 1,183 physicians in two Brazilian states, point to inequalities in the uses and coverage of telemedicine. Private clinics spearheaded the growth.
Researchers in Brazil and the UK analyzed data for more than 3,000 people aged 50 or more to prove the importance of vitamin D to muscles.
Brazilian researchers advocate trials using mini-brains grown in the lab to investigate the impact of these drugs on fetal neurodevelopment.
Brazilian researchers infected fat cells from subcutaneous and visceral tissue with SARS-CoV-2. Fat cells from organs in the abdominal cavity had a higher viral load and produced more pro-inflammatory molecules after contact with the virus.
An article on the study is published in Biomedicines. The findings offer an avenue for the development of novel therapies for Chagas megaesophagus.
On a visit to Brazil, the scientific director for LICR and one of the most cited researchers in the field of oncology spoke about advances in cancer treatment and the development of tools that in his view enable physicians to detect tumors very early on.
A total of 252 children living in a city in northwestern São Paulo took part in the study, in which blood samples from hospitalized children were analyzed. The percentage with measles antibodies was less than the 94% target considered ideal to prevent outbreaks.
Brazilian scientists have developed a biosensor using zinc oxide combined for the first time with an electron-conducting glass substrate and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The results outperformed ELISA, the current gold standard for diagnosing infectious diseases.
