Fapesp

FAPESP and the Sustainable Development Goals

News

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

News

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Genetic mutation leads to precocious puberty associated with neurological disturbances, study shows
SDG 3
Genetic mutation leads to precocious puberty associated with neurological disturbances, study shows

Researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil and collaborators in four other countries analyzed more than 400 patients. They found a link between the endocrine disorder and alterations in the gene MECP2, which encodes a protein of key importance to neuron development.


AI-assisted platform helps patients control diabetes and prevent complications
SDG 3, SDG 9
AI-assisted platform helps patients control diabetes and prevent complications

A startup supported by FAPESP is developing an app that leverages artificial intelligence to help users monitor the disease and improve the quality of their lives.


Cell therapy can reduce risk of death from COVID-19 by 60%, study shows
SDG 3
Cell therapy can reduce risk of death from COVID-19 by 60%, study shows

Brazilian researchers and collaborators in Germany and the US compiled data from 195 clinical trials conducted in 30 countries between January 2020 and December 2021. The findings are promising, although the authors stress the need for enhanced controls in the making of the products used in cell therapy.


New ‘encyclopedia’ of sedentary behavior emphasizes importance of movement to health
SDG 3
New ‘encyclopedia’ of sedentary behavior emphasizes importance of movement to health

A comprehensive review by researchers in Brazil and elsewhere provides a wealth of information about the effects on the organism of remaining seated for much of the day, and calls for more research to analyze the effectiveness of interventions to reduce or interrupt sedentary behavior.


Study suggests paternal diet can influence propensity to obesity in offspring
SDG 3
Study suggests paternal diet can influence propensity to obesity in offspring

Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo conducted experiments involving rats to analyze the effects of a high-fat high-sugar parental diet. The results suggested that ingestion of hypercaloric food by male progenitors favors weight gain and a build-up of body fat in their offspring.


COVID-19 can trigger auto-immune disorders-related antibodies, causing thrombosis and other complications
SDG 3
COVID-19 can trigger auto-immune disorders-related antibodies, causing thrombosis and other complications

A study conducted at the University of São Paulo helps explain why older people are more susceptible to the severe form of the disease and why it involves blood clotting disorders.


A thyroid tumor diagnostic test wins Octavio Frias de Oliveira Award
SDG 3, SDG 9
A thyroid tumor diagnostic test wins Octavio Frias de Oliveira Award

Technology developed with FAPESP’s support was the winner in the “Technological Innovation” category. Also, a University of São Paulo study that found a molecule capable of killing leukemic cells was awarded in “Oncology Research” category.


Oral health deteriorates before and after bariatric surgery, study shows
SDG 3
Oral health deteriorates before and after bariatric surgery, study shows

Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo analyzed saliva, oral microbiota and dental health of volunteers who were preparing for gastroplasty and after the operation. The results showed an increase in caries and periodontitis, as well as alterations in salivary inflammatory markers.


Food supplementation with coconut oil can cause obesity, study shows
SDG 3
Food supplementation with coconut oil can cause obesity, study shows

In experiments with mice, researchers at the State University of Campinas observed alterations in feed consumption, weight gain, anxious behavior and an increase in central nervous system, adipose tissue and liver inflammation.


Sanitized ready-to-eat salad may contain disease-causing bacteria
SDG 3
Sanitized ready-to-eat salad may contain disease-causing bacteria

A review of research on minimally processed vegetables highlights cases of unsatisfactory microbiological safety and calls for best practice assurance throughout the supply chain.


In Situ Cell Therapy wins eAwards Brazil 2023
SDG 3, SDG 9
In Situ Cell Therapy wins eAwards Brazil 2023

With FAPESP’s support, the startup developed a smart biodressing produced by 3D printing and designed to accelerate skin wound healing. It will compete for a Global eAward in October.


Study reveals how deep brain stimulation helps control epilepsy
SDG 3
Study reveals how deep brain stimulation helps control epilepsy

Experiments with rats at the Federal University of São Paulo suggest that the technique promotes reprogramming of the neurons affected by the disease, making them return to a normal state and interrupting seizures. Increased production of adenosine appears to play a key role in the process.


Sleep apnea accelerates aging, but use of breathing therapy method can mitigate the problem
SDG 3
Sleep apnea accelerates aging, but use of breathing therapy method can mitigate the problem

In a study involving 46 volunteers, researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo found that telomere shortening, a biomarker of cellular aging, accelerated in untreated obstructive sleep apnea patients, whereas continuous positive airway pressure attenuated the damage.


Build-up of abdominal fat increases risk of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency, study shows
SDG 3
Build-up of abdominal fat increases risk of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency, study shows

A collaborative study by Brazilian and British researchers shows for the first time that obesity can cause a lack of vitamin D and not the other way around. The risk of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in subjects with abdominal obesity was 36% and 64% higher respectively than in those without.


Study proposes use of artificial intelligence to diagnose autism spectrum disorder
SDG 3
Study proposes use of artificial intelligence to diagnose autism spectrum disorder

Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to train a machine learning algorithm to help diagnose autism. The study involved physicists, statisticians, physicians and neuroscientists from centers in Brazil, France and Germany.


Exercise is beneficial even in a polluted environment, study shows
SDG 3
Exercise is beneficial even in a polluted environment, study shows

Researchers at the University of São Paulo analyzed inflammatory markers in cyclists who trained regularly and had been exposed to traffic-related pollution. The results of the experiment, which was conducted in São Paulo city, are published in the American Journal of Physiology.


Cross-border consortium investigates long-term effects of pandemic on children and young adults
SDG 3
Cross-border consortium investigates long-term effects of pandemic on children and young adults

The aim of the study is to understand the strategies used by children and young people in low-income households to adapt to the public health crisis and economic hardship in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.


Co-infection by novel species of parasite is confirmed in visceral leishmaniasis patient
SDG 3
Co-infection by novel species of parasite is confirmed in visceral leishmaniasis patient

Genome sequencing of clinical samples from a child hospitalized in Aracaju, the capital of Sergipe state (Brazil), revealed the simultaneous presence of the protozoan Leishmania infantum and an as-yet unnamed parasite belonging to the genus Crithidia, identified earlier in a fatal case of visceral leishmaniasis in the same region.


Innovation to treat skin cancer will be used by Brazil’s public health clinics
SDG 3, SDG 9
Innovation to treat skin cancer will be used by Brazil’s public health clinics

Photodynamic therapy developed by the Center for Research in Optics and Photonics, which is supported by FAPESP, has been recommended by Brazil’s federal body responsible for including novel healthcare technologies in the national health service.


Three out of every ten meals ordered from the main food delivery app in Brazil come from dark kitchens
SDG 3, SDG 12
Three out of every ten meals ordered from the main food delivery app in Brazil come from dark kitchens

The first-ever study of dark kitchens conducted in Brazil collected data on 22,520 establishments located in three cities in São Paulo state and listed by iFood. An article on the study offers a profile of these delivery-only restaurants, which proliferated during the pandemic.


Research with Brazilian participation is first to create models of bovine embryos
SDG 3, SDG 9
Research with Brazilian participation is first to create models of bovine embryos

The results pave the way for breeding of cattle with selected traits. Preliminary work findings for human embryo models recently published by international groups could contribute to the understanding of congenital defects and early pregnancy loss.


Compound reduced inflammation in COVID-19-infected mice without compromising immune response to virus
SDG 3
Compound reduced inflammation in COVID-19-infected mice without compromising immune response to virus

A team affiliated with a FAPESP-supported research center showed in mice that molecules capable of preventing the peptide C5a from binding to its cellular receptor helped prevent lung damage and other complications typical of severe COVID-19.


Consumption of soluble dietary fiber favors renewal of intestinal epithelial cells, study shows
SDG 3
Consumption of soluble dietary fiber favors renewal of intestinal epithelial cells, study shows

In experiments conducted at the State University of Campinas (Brazil), intestinal epithelial stem cells proliferated more in mice fed an inulin-rich diet than in mice given insoluble fiber. The study also showed that the beneficial effects depended on interaction with gut microbiota.


SARS-CoV-2 infects liver, stimulating glucose production and contributing to severe form of COVID-19
SDG 3
SARS-CoV-2 infects liver, stimulating glucose production and contributing to severe form of COVID-19

A study conducted at the University of São Paulo and reported in PNAS explains hyperglycemia in hospitalized patients and shows how SARS-CoV-2 causes symptoms similar to those of diabetes.


Novel targets identified for treatment of schistosomiasis
SDG 3
Novel targets identified for treatment of schistosomiasis

Researchers at Butantan Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, discovered that survival of the parasitic worm that causes the disease depends on expression of a specific type of RNA. In animal trials, inhibition of the molecule interrupted the infection.


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