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A new strategy for preventing complications associated with sepsis is presented by researchers affiliated with the University of São Paulo (USP) and collaborators in an article published in the journal Blood. The proposal is to inhibit the action of a protein called gasdermin D, which the authors show is possible with disulfiram, a drug already approved for human use and originally indicated to combat alcohol dependence. The study was conducted at the Center for [...]

Researchers in Brazil and Belgium have developed a molecule of pharmaceutical interest from collinein-1, a protein found in rattlesnake venom. They used a technique called PEGylation to make the molecule, now called PEG-rCollinein-1, more stable in the organism and resistant to the immune system, obtaining a drug candidate to modulate blood clotting. An article reporting the results of the research has recently been published in the International Journal of Biological [...]

A scientific expedition in the Javari River basin on the border between Brazil, Colombia and Peru has shown use of environmental DNA sequencing to be feasible to investigate fish diversity in the Amazon. The eDNA method consists of extracting molecules of DNA present in water samples and identifying the species to which they belong by means of genetic markers. An article on the research published in the journal Scientific Reports also discusses the limitations of the [...]

Scientists affiliated with the Center for Innovation in Biodiversity and Drug Discovery (CIBFar), in Brazil, have discovered details of the process of maturation of 3CL, the main protease involved in replication of the novel coronavirus. Their findings are reported in an article published in the Journal of Molecular Biology. The discovery facilitates the search for medications capable of sabotaging this process as soon as it begins. “In the 18 months since the pandemic was [...]

Xanthomonas citri, the bacterium that causes citrus canker, is a notorious “villain” among citrus growers but can be an ally in the manufacturing of biorenewables such as ethanol, dyes, plastics, and other chemicals currently derived from petroleum. A study published in June in the journal Nature Communications by researchers at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) in Campinas, São Paulo state, reveals the biological processes used by the [...]

Brasilia [Brazil], August 25 (ANI): Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can increase the benefits of aerobic exercise and improve the gait of patients with Parkinson's disease immediately after a session. Step time variability decreases, reaction time shortens, and executive control of gait is enhanced. These were the main findings of a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled crossover study of 20 volunteers by researchers at Sao Paulo State University's Institute of [...]

Researchers at the Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC) have discovered a set of biomarkers that can be used to predict which patients diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, may have tumors that are more resistant to radiation therapy. The discovery, published in the journal Frontiers in Oncology, can help doctors choose the treatment that should enable patients to live longer. Gliomas are graded on a scale of one to four. Grade four gliomas are the most aggressive and [...]

A group led by researchers at Butantan Institute and funded by São Paulo Research Foundation — FAPESP has completed the first sequencing of a Brazilian snake’s genome. The study is reported in an article published in the journal PNAS. It suggests that the nine genes that encode toxins produced by the jararaca pit viper Bothrops jararaca probably originated in genes that had different functions in the ancestral species. “In sequencing the snake’s genome, we [...]

Regular muscle strengthening exercises associated with aerobic activities can reduce cancer mortality, according to a systematic review of epidemiological studies. Workouts with squats, rowing, planks, weight training and so on can reduce the probability of dying from cancer by 14%. When these exercises are combined with aerobic activities, the benefit is even greater, potentially reducing mortality by 28%. “Physical activity has been associated with a reduced risk of several types of [...]