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In an article published in Scientific Reports, researchers affiliated with the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil describe experiments performed with mice that show how genetic factors can determine whether an individual is susceptible or resistant to leishmaniasis. According to the authors, the results will contribute to a better understanding of leishmaniasis in humans and help to clarify why only some of those individuals infected develop the disease. Leishmaniasis is caused by [...]

Researchers at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo State, Brazil, have developed a computer program that analyzes molecules in blood plasma to search for biomarkers that identify individuals who are at risk of becoming overweight and developing obesity-related diseases. The project was supported by FAPESP. The principal investigator was Professor Rodrigo Ramos Catharino, head of UNICAMP's Innovare Biomarker Laboratory. The results are described in the journal Frontiers [...]

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is rapidly spreading around the globe. With the high infection rate and spread of the virus to more than 80 countries, scientists are racing to study the nature of the virus, in the hopes of finding new vaccines and therapeutics. Now, scientists have published two genome sequences for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. The scientists, which were from [...]

It is estimated that as many as 80% of advanced-stage cancer patients may develop cachexia, a potentially fatal metabolic syndrome characterized by extreme weight loss and muscle wasting, but scientists do not yet fully understand why it is more frequently associated with certain kinds of tumor than others, or why not all cancer patients develop it. Tumor genetics could provide an answer. Researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil analyzed 12 types of cancer and [...]

In addition to helping us chew and swallow, keeping the mouth moist and protecting us against germs, saliva can also be used for early detection of the risk of developing diseases associated with surplus body fat. Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) and the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil performed a study in which they used the level of uric acid in saliva to predict body fat percentages in teenagers and identify those with surplus fat even if they [...]

Crotoxin, extracted from the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus, has been studied for almost a century for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities and as an even more powerful muscle paralyzer than botulinum toxin. However, the toxicity of crotoxin limits its medicinal use. A new study, published by Brazilian researchers in the journal Toxins, shows that crotoxin's therapeutic effects can be enhanced and its toxicity reduced when it is [...]

A group led by a researcher affiliated with the University of São Paulo's São Carlos Chemistry Institute (IQSC-USP) in Brazil has developed a novel palladium compound that acts against ovarian tumor cells without affecting healthy tissues. Palladium is a silvery white metal belonging to the same group as platinum. The molecule acts more selectively and powerfully in vitro than cisplatin, a platinum-based chemotherapy medication that is used to treat several types of cancer [...]

The human immune system uses two pre-programmed strategies to tackle infection. One is fever, a resistance mechanism that tries to eliminate a pathogen by raising the body's temperature. The other works in the opposite direction, cooling the body down in a controlled manner to permit temporary tolerance of the invader while protecting organs and systems. These two mechanisms act as alternatives according to the intensity of the attack and the overall state of the patient's health. This [...]

In most cases, hair starts to gray in the thirties, and becomes pronounced in the fifties, at which time the head is typically crowned with a thatch of white, gray and perhaps some hair of the original color. A new study published January 2020 in the journal Nature, shows that this process is speeded up significantly by acute stress persisting over a period, or by severe trauma. Historically, the French queen Marie Antoinette is said to turned gray in one single night, developing a pure white [...]