Medical research news in Portugal

Study strengthens suspicion that Epstein–Barr virus may cause multiple sclerosis

CNN Summit | The Next Generation Of Health | The Future II: Science at the service of Health - Talk

Talk with Iñigo San-Millán, Physiologist and Researcher, moderated by Anselmo Crespo from CNN Portugal

Belly fat may reveal cardiac risk

Radiomics could be applied on a large scale to determine the quality of fat, regardless of its location, helping to “personalise the prevention and treatment of people with obesity”.

Study concludes that abdominal fat characteristics may explain heart artery diseases

The team analysed scans of 1,736 adults without known coronary disease to study subcutaneous fat, that is, the fat located just below the skin which can be pinched, as well as visceral fat, which surrounds the organs inside the abdomen, and total abdominal fat.

Belly fat characteristics may reveal heart risk

The study used CT radiomics, which acts as a virtual biopsy, where artificial intelligence algorithms extract hundreds of tissue characteristics from images that are not visible to the naked eye.

Sepsis. Why do organs stop functioning?

Miguel Soares proved that fat, essential for survival, is the body's main fuel during a severe infection. Six years after his recognition by Observador, he is now studying the adipose tissue of patients.

Investigating pain without listening to those who feel it

Recognising the priorities of people with chronic pain is, above all, a basic act of humanity. However, those who live with pain are rarely asked to say what is important to study.

Cell sugars can trigger autoimmune diseases — and this is reversible

The layer of sugars coating a type of immune cell acts as a code that can lead to chronic inflammation, which is present in autoimmune diseases. But a solution is in sight.

“Surprising discovery”: Portuguese scientists managed to halt a process associated with Alzheimer’s

A team led by researchers from the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Lisbon used small antibody fragments to reduce, in the laboratory, the formation of Tau protein aggregates, the accumulation of which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. “Our expectation is that possibilities to delay neurodegenerative processes will emerge from this work,” explains the study coordinator to Expresso.

New personalised cancer vaccine could become one of the world's best-selling drugs

The vaccine is developed from a sample of each patient's tumour. The business could generate 48 billion euros per year.

Researchers create innovative hydrogel to treat melanoma

An “innovative hydrogel” composed of spherical nanocapsules and a polymer could help in the treatment of melanoma. The most serious form of skin cancer records 1,000 to 1,500 cases in Portugal per year.

Women live with more pain throughout the body than men

A study published in 'Nature Medicine' analysed data from 6.1 million people in 118 countries and concluded that women report more pain than men in all body parts analysed. The results also suggest that, contrary to popular belief, a large part of the pain burden accumulates before middle age.

Nobel Prize in Medicine: "Discovery changes brain study"

Researcher Ricardo Henrique explains to Rádio Observador that the technique allows for the study of behaviours such as fear and may help in understanding conditions like depression and anxiety.

We are closer to understanding how autism develops in the brain

Scientists create the “largest molecular map” of autism and identify new targets for treatments

The heart gained prominence in Portuguese science in the 90s

Hypertension, arterial transplants, and new ways of treating atrial fibrillation placed cardiovascular health in the spotlight among the works distinguished by the Pfizer Awards during the decade. The award, which Expresso is associated with as a media partner, is being presented again this year in its 70th edition.

Scientists discover that obesity can alter and impair heart relaxation

“Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction” affects about 23 million people worldwide.

Scientists discover that obesity can alter and impair heart relaxation

A team of researchers has discovered how obesity can alter and impair the necessary relaxation of the heart, which could pave the way for personalised treatments according to the cause of the cardiac injury.

Scientists discover a phase where brain metastasis may be more vulnerable to drugs

A new strategy could stop brain metastasis before it is detected. Furthermore, researchers believe the vulnerability may be common to the metastatic process in general.

PCOS, a condition affecting millions of women worldwide, gets a new name

Health condition can affect women's fertility and increase the risk of diabetes

The decade in which HIV entered the radar of Portuguese research

From the immune system to the brain and diabetes, the work distinguished by the Pfizer Awards in the 80s followed new frontiers in medicine and highlighted names such as Rui Victorino, Maria do Carmo Fonseca, and José Manuel Ferro. The award, for which Expresso is a media partner, is being presented again this year in its 70th edition.

Nobel Prize in Medicine: "The chances of the COVID-19 virus having been manufactured in a laboratory are practically zero"

Charles Rice dedicates his life to studying viruses and, in the midst of the pandemic, received a Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering another one, hepatitis C. He guarantees that the COVID-19 agent was not created by man nor did it 'escape' from any laboratory. The researcher reveals that the discovery that changed his life was purely accidental: “It fell into my lap.”

How microbes can help prevent, diagnose and treat diseases

Statements from the protagonists of the third day of GIMM Fest, an event organised by GIMM which Expresso joined as a media partner

When bacteria go from threat to therapeutic tool

Statements from the protagonists of the second day of GIMM Fest, an event organised by GIMM which Expresso joined as a media partner

Coimbra tests blood marker to speed up Alzheimer’s diagnosis

A simple blood test could help doctors identify possible Alzheimer’s disease earlier under a pioneering project launched by Coimbra’s local health authority. The initiative will test whether a blood biomarker The post Coimbra tests blood marker to speed up Alzheimer’s diagnosis appeared first on Portugal Resident.

From the gut to the brain: how microbes and bacteria are transforming medicine

Statements from the protagonists of the first day of GIMM Fest, an event organised by GIMM which Expresso has joined as a media partner

Scientists create the first integrated map of the histamine system in the human brain

A Portuguese study concludes that histamine, usually associated with allergies and sleep, may play a key role in mental health and proper emotional and cognitive functioning.

University of Coimbra studies innovative therapy for traumatic brain injury

A project led by the University of Coimbra (UC) is testing an innovative therapeutic approach for traumatic brain injury, one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide.

University in Portugal studies innovative treatment for traumatic brain injury