News

Triple-negative breast cancer grows rapidly and is highly likely to metastasize. Experiments with mice identified a molecule that binds to a defense cell receptor and activates an immune response against the tumor.

First-ever study to show correlation between inhibition of protein HSP70 and dysfunction of cells in inner lining of blood vessels, one of the factors involved in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Designed for use as food packaging, the material is produced by scientists at São Paulo State University from gelatin, clay and a nanoemulsion of black pepper essential oil.

Brazilian scientists tested a participatory disaster risk monitoring strategy in a town that was partially destroyed in 2010 after an unprecedented flood. The methodology can be applied in other parts of the country.

A group at the University of São Paulo has shown how metabolic alterations lead to a buildup of cholesterol in the cells of diabetic patients.

Study involving 672 Brazilians aged 16-24 with internet access showed that distance education did not have a direct impact on mental health.

A study conducted in Brazil combined use of aerial photography and artificial intelligence to identify socio-economically deprived urban areas at risk for diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti.

With joint support from FAPESP and the government innovation agency, researchers at Eyetec have drastically reduced the number of components needed to make the device.

These factors combined have worsened the severe drought conditions in the transition zone between the eastern Amazon and the Brazilian savanna, where the main soybean-producing region (MaToPiBa) is located. The researchers who detected the trend warn that crop yields could fall.

Brazilian researchers conducted a randomized clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of a 12-week home exercise program for 32 volunteers who had been hospitalized after contracting COVID-19.

Scholars attending the 8th FAPESP 60 Years Conference discussed the impacts of the modernist movement on Brazilian culture and its repercussions for education and research in the ensuing decades.

Experiments in mice show for the first time that mutant mitochondrial DNA builds up during the final stage of egg formation. The discovery will serve as a basis for novel strategies to prevent transmission.

A system developed by a startup supported by FAPESP proves capable of predicting diabetic foot with over 85% accuracy. Foot complications occur in 34% of diabetics.

A multicenter research team investigated an outbreak in 2019, which proved to be due to a subtype of the pathogen that causes Newcastle disease. According to the researchers, the risk to humans and poultry is low.

In a study conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo involving experiments on mice, the synthetic substance not only prevented the neuropathic pain typically induced by chemo drugs but was also beneficial against cancer.

Brazilian researchers analyzed data for 2,777 patients hospitalized between January 5 and September 12, 2021. For those who had been fully vaccinated, being over 60 and having kidney failure were the sole predictors of hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

Patients submitted to a procedure that “resets” the immune system were tracked for a year by scientists at a FAPESP-supported research center. Their clinical improvement correlated with renewal of a group of defense cells known as B lymphocytes.

The tambaqui ranks second in Brazil in terms of fish production, behind only the tilapia. Consumers appreciate its meat, and it produces many offspring and grows fast. To conquer the global market, however, researchers argue that investment in innovation and genetic improvement is needed.

Experiments were conducted on mice by a group at the University of São Paulo. The results, reported in the journal Endocrinology, could have future implications for therapies to control body weight.

A study by researchers in Brazil and the UK reinforces the hypothesis that Drosophila melanogaster has a mutualistic relationship with Wolbachia bacteria. Their findings can help make the fight against mosquito-borne diseases more effective.

Survey by National Disaster Surveillance and Early Warning Center (CEMADEN) highlights simultaneity of extreme weather episodes due to heavy rain in North, Southeast and parts of Center-West, and drought in South and parts of Northeast.

Although this variant of SARS-CoV-2 is less aggressive, the explosive growth of case numbers has again driven health services to the verge of collapse. Lack of tests and a “data blackout” at the Health Ministry make an accurate assessment of the situation impossible.

A group at São Paulo State University (UNESP) is working on pharmacological strategies to block sperm motility.

The process is sustainable and is described by researchers at universities in Brazil and Portugal in the journal Green Chemistry. The article is one of those highlighted as “hot” by the journal’s editors and referees.

Brazilian researchers tracked 425 patients for six to nine months after hospital discharge. Over half reported memory decline, and tests showed significant cognitive impairments in the group.

A study led by Brazilian researchers measured species numbers and attributes, as well as carbon dynamics, in two areas of the Brazilian savanna – one is regularly burned and no fires have occurred in the other for 16 years.

An article in the Journal of Medical Virology by researchers affiliated with the Federal University of São Paulo in Brazil argues that this is the reason for the relatively small proportion of severe cases and deaths among vaccinated patients despite omicron’s greatly increased transmissibility.

Women who were poor as children are more likely to develop mental health disorders, such as attention deficit and hyperactivity; the study assessed 1,590 schoolchildren for some seven years.

The new Engineering Research Center will be led by scientists affiliated with the University of Campinas’s Interdisciplinary Center for Energy Planning, in partnership with colleagues at universities and research institutions in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

The wearable device has screen-printed sensors on three fingers to detect the presence of toxic substances in fruit and vegetables. Prior preparation of samples is not required, and no waste is generated.

Detection of high-frequency gravitational waves would offer knowledge of phases of the early Universe not accessible to investigation based on electromagnetic waves, potentially paving the way to a new physics beyond the Standard Model.

Innovative, artificial intelligence-based methodology detects occurrences of Pleroma by identifying blooms, and maps distribution in biome.

Researchers have found that nanoparticles resulting from human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels rapidly grow in the atmosphere and influence cloud formation. The discovery will help make meteorological models and climate change simulations more accurate.

Research conducted at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil showed that the technique inhibits bacterial activity and can be used in the consulting room.

The technique is used for in vitro studies of the behavior of astrocytes in a three-dimensional format, and can be adapted for neurons and other cell types. The model has been used to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on the central nervous system.

The clinical trial involved 44 volunteers with advanced bladder cancer. The award of a US patent should facilitate cooperation between the researchers and the pharmaceutical industry to proceed to the next stage of drug development.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted by the University of São Paulo found that a vaccine taken sublingually for 18 months had positive results, reducing skin lesions and itchiness.

A Brazilian startup has developed technology inspired by the soil mapping techniques used by the oil and gas industry to select drilling sites.

Brazilian researchers followed 38 COVID-19 patients and found that it took a month on average for the diagnostic test to become negative. In three patients, the virus remained detectable for more than 70 days.

The program can be used to control the quality of the data obtained, sequencing environmental samples by means of a technique known as metagenomics, which shows how complete the sequences mapped are, and whether they are contaminated by genetic material from other microorganisms.

The study involving 376 patients was conducted in São Paulo and could contribute to the formulation of public policy to improve accident prevention.

A system developed by Brazilian researchers detects the presence of the virus in a nasopharyngeal swab in less than a minute.

Brazilian researchers demonstrate in field experiments that these large mammals help keep a balance between areas with different levels of productivity in biomes like the Atlantic Rainforest and regulate the spatial structure of plant communities.

Scientists affiliated with institutions in Brazil and elsewhere presented research findings that highlighted the importance of data sharing in the fight against COVID-19.

An analysis of the management plans for 118 protected areas in all parts of Brazil shows that 60% use methodologies that may yield an incorrect diagnosis of the threat to the various species of deer, especially those living in forests. The researchers have produced an illustrated guide to help identify species in future stocktaking exercises.

The results of a study by researchers at the University of São Paulo could serve as a basis for new recommendations on health and fitness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Using two low-cost techniques, researchers in Brazil differentiate patients with the disease from healthy subjects. Next steps include refining the approach to diagnose the disease in its early stages.

A study by Brazilian and British scientists involved 2,511 families with children aged 6-14. The findings show that externalizing disorders such as attention deficit and hyperactivity have more adverse effects than conditions associated with anxiety and fear.

The 45 Brazilian cities worst hit by problems like drought, flooding and landslides in the last ten years are the same as those with the most COVID-19 cases and deaths. Lack of urban infrastructure and discontinuity of funding and preventive action are among the causes identified.

Test developed by startup BiDiagnostics with FAPESP’s support promises faster and more accurate diagnosis of deep mycosis that causes sores and potentially fatal organ damage in domestic cats.