Fapesp

FAPESP and the Sustainable Development Goals

News

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

News

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Researchers develop bioink for the 3D printing of nerve tissue
SDG 3, SDG 9
Researchers develop bioink for the 3D printing of nerve tissue

The technique can contribute to a deeper understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and lead to applications in drug testing. In the future, this technique could be used to reconstruct damaged parts of the brain.


Brazilian researchers create an optical sensor to detect glucose
SDG 3, SDG 9
Brazilian researchers create an optical sensor to detect glucose

The device was developed by Brazilian scientists using nontoxic, biodegradable, low-cost materials. It can be used by people with diabetes to monitor blood sugar.


New treatment for digestive fistulas proves effective
SDG 3
New treatment for digestive fistulas proves effective

Researchers at Paris Diderot University in France propose the use of vesicles secreted by adipose stem cells as a biological therapeutic system. The methodology has been successfully tested in pigs.


Novel molecules display potent and selective action against ovarian tumor cells
SDG 3
Novel molecules display potent and selective action against ovarian tumor cells

Compounds based on palladium, a metal belonging to the same group as platinum, have been developed by researchers from Brazil, the UK and Italy. In vitro tests show action against tumor cells that are resistant to treatment currently used in clinical practice.


Novel approach to understanding of immune system could lead to personalized therapy against sepsis
SDG 3
Novel approach to understanding of immune system could lead to personalized therapy against sepsis

Researchers describe two pre-programmed strategies used by the human organism to combat infection: resistance to pathogens by means of fever; and temporary tolerance promoted by controlled hypothermia. A combination of these two mechanisms could afford an alternative approach to studying and treating severe conditions such as sepsis.


Scientific evidence found for role of stress in hair whitening
SDG 3
Scientific evidence found for role of stress in hair whitening

Partnering with scientists at Harvard, a group of Brazilians affiliated with the Center for Research on Inflammatory Diseases (CRID), supported by FAPESP, described the mechanisms that cause hair color loss in extreme situations.


AIDS increases among young people amid health spending cuts, researcher warns
SDG 3
AIDS increases among young people amid health spending cuts, researcher warns

Falling investment in health promotion policies is one of the obstacles to the prevention of HIV-AIDS.


Zika inhibits the proliferation of prostate cancer cells
SDG 3
Zika inhibits the proliferation of prostate cancer cells

Experiments performed by Brazilian scientists showed that Zika virus inhibits tumor cell proliferation even when inactivated by high temperature. The study was supported by FAPESP and published in Scientific Reports.


Nanoparticles are modified to selectively combat cancer, viruses and bacteria
SDG 3
Nanoparticles are modified to selectively combat cancer, viruses and bacteria

A Brazilian research group tested the effects of different chemical groups added to the surface of nanoparticles with the aim of making them ‘invisible’ to the immune system, safe for human cells, and effective against pathogens and tumors.


Big data in health and life sciences discussed by researchers from São Paulo and the Netherlands
SDG 3, SDG 17
Big data in health and life sciences discussed by researchers from São Paulo and the Netherlands

The meeting was organized by the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in São Paulo and FAPESP with the aim of fostering collaborative research.


Study contests use of smoked cannabis in treatment of cocaine addiction
SDG 3
Study contests use of smoked cannabis in treatment of cocaine addiction

Researchers in Brazil evaluated cocaine and crack addicts undergoing rehabilitation for six months and observed a higher relapse rate and worse cognitive impairment among patients who smoked cannabis to try to mitigate their craving for cocaine.


Study explains why bacteria that contaminate food do not always cause serious disease in Brazil
SDG 3
Study explains why bacteria that contaminate food do not always cause serious disease in Brazil

Researchers have revealed the molecular mechanisms that make the Brazilian strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli less virulent and pathogenic than strains of the bacterium found in other countries. Their findings can be used to formulate epidemiological surveillance strategies.


Researchers report discoveries regarding a molecule with the potential to treat ovarian cancer
SDG 3
Researchers report discoveries regarding a molecule with the potential to treat ovarian cancer

The FAPESP-funded Center for Cell-Based Therapy explored the action mechanism of a microRNA that reduces tumor size and blocks metastasis when overexpressed.


Consortium vows to find new drugs against Chagas disease, leishmaniosis and malaria
SDG 3, SDG 17
Consortium vows to find new drugs against Chagas disease, leishmaniosis and malaria

Initiative supported by FAPESP, USP, UNICAMP and global partners sets out to discover new molecules against tropical parasitic diseases. Its aim is to develop effective and affordable drugs.


3D bioprinting is used to produce cellular structures
SDG 3, SDG 9
3D bioprinting is used to produce cellular structures

With FAPESP’s support, the flagship product developed by a Brazilian startup gains scale and is used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.


Big data analytics tools provide clinical decision support
SDG 3, SDG 9
Big data analytics tools provide clinical decision support

Researchers at the University of São Paulo are developing computer systems to process and extract information from large datasets provided by public hospitals. Their goal is to create a database that can be queried by physicians and clinical specialists to help diagnose and treat patients.


Novel genetic signature that can predict some kinds of breast cancer is identified
SDG 3
Novel genetic signature that can predict some kinds of breast cancer is identified

Brazilian researchers, in collaboration with Canadian scientists, have identified genes associated with angiogenesis and breast cancer. The discovery can help predict the severity of the disease


Researchers create functional mini-liver by 3D bioprinting
SDG 3, SDG 9
Researchers create functional mini-liver by 3D bioprinting

Technique developed at Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, funded by FAPESP and hosted by the University of São Paulo, produced hepatic tissue in the laboratory in only 90 days and could become an alternative to organ transplantation in future.


The sympathetic nervous system can inhibit the action of defense cells in autoimmune disease
SDG 3
The sympathetic nervous system can inhibit the action of defense cells in autoimmune disease

Scientists in Brazil showed that the part of the autonomous nervous system that controls responses to danger or stress can reduce the activity of the cells that attack potential threats to the organism. This discovery opens up an opportunity for the development of novel therapeutic approaches to disorders such as multiple sclerosis


Entrepreneurs from São Paulo and Mexico exchange information on technology to combat arboviral diseases
SDG 3, SDG 17
Entrepreneurs from São Paulo and Mexico exchange information on technology to combat arboviral diseases

Projects funded jointly by FAPESP and Canada’s IDRC are developing solutions to combat Aedes aegypti. Researchers and entrepreneurs from Brazil and Mexico discussed these innovations at a workshop.


Study is investigating factors that influence the transmission of Chagas disease in Northeast Brazil
SDG 3
Study is investigating factors that influence the transmission of Chagas disease in Northeast Brazil

Brazilian and French researchers have studied specimens of the vector insect captured in Brazil that recorded an outbreak of the disease and have observed a high prevalence of infection by T. cruzi; two species of rodents were identified as potential reservoirs of the parasite


Researchers show how opportunistic bacterium defeats competitors
SDG 3
Researchers show how opportunistic bacterium defeats competitors

A study conducted in Brazil shows that Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a common drug-resistant pathogen in hospitals, kills rival bacteria with a cocktail of toxins. This discovery could lead to the development of new antibiotics.


An international research group is developing computer system for early detection of Alzheimer’s
SDG 3, SDG 9
An international research group is developing computer system for early detection of Alzheimer’s

In a lecture given at FAPESP Week France, Brazilian scientist Francisco Fraga da Silva spoke about developing a low-cost diagnostic alternative based on electroencephalography data.


Mechanism that triggers the inflammatory process during infection by Mayaro virus is discovered
SDG 3
Mechanism that triggers the inflammatory process during infection by Mayaro virus is discovered

A Brazilian team at FAPESP-supported Center for Research on Inflammatory Diseases identified the strategy used by immune cells to combat the pathogen Mayaro virus, which causes symptoms similar to those of chikungunya fever. These results pave the way for the development of drugs.


New strategy for treating the most aggressive type of brain cancer is tested at USP
SDG 3
New strategy for treating the most aggressive type of brain cancer is tested at USP

Therapy used against grade four glioblastoma multiforme combines a photoactive molecule and a chemotherapeutic agent – both encapsulated in protein-lipid nanoparticles; work was presented by Antônio Claudio Tedesco during FAPESP Week France.


News about research projects funded by FAPESP and articulated with the SDGs: