Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Scientists say they have new experimental evidence of a novel role for bilirubin, a natural yellow pigment found in the body, in protecting humans from the worst effects of malaria and potentially other infectious diseases. The findings could advance the search for drugs that mimic the pigment bilirubin, or deliver it to the body to help protect people from severe forms of some infections.

The human body is naturally equipped with defenses to fight off viral infections. For a virus to successfully infect it, it must first overcome these defenses. To do so, viruses have evolved specialized tools—proteins known as “virulence factors”—that help them shut down or dodge the immune system and cause disease.

Diseases caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), such as cervical cancer, may have a new treatment option thanks to a technology developed by researchers at Imunotera Soluções Terapêuticas, a São Paulo startup incubated at Eretz.bio, the biotechnology startup hub at Albert Einstein Jewish Brazilian Hospital.

Aging and chronic diseases involve the gradual accumulation of subtle tissue changes over a long period. Therefore, there are still limitations in quantitatively understanding these changes within organs and linking them to early signs of disease onset.

About 30% of all respiratory tract infections are caused by coronaviruses, leading to widespread illnesses and, in some cases, to epidemic and even pandemic outbreaks, as we experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the development of groundbreaking technology that enables the design of prophylactic vaccines, access to those vaccines is not equal across the globe, especially in low-resource countries, and also other hesitations prevent their adoption.

To enhance existing strategies for controlling the Aedes aegypti mosquito, geoinformation scientist Dr. Steffen Knoblauch has created a high-resolution environmental suitability map for Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) that can help identify areas most conducive to breeding.

Ivory Coast announced a cholera outbreak on Thursday, confirming seven deaths from the disease.

A Canadian infant who was born prematurely and had measles has died, officials said Thursday without confirming a cause of death, raising heightened concern about the virus’s resurgence.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. While genetics and age are well-known risk factors, growing evidence highlights a significant connection between obesity and colorectal cancer. Understanding this link is crucial in shaping effective prevention and early detection strategies.

Werner syndrome (WS), a rare genetic disorder that causes accelerated aging. From their twenties, patients develop gray hair, hair loss, cataracts, diabetes, and other age-related conditions normally seen in the elderly. Additionally, patients develop severe and untreatable skin ulcers, often requiring limb amputation, and face early death from cardiovascular diseases or cancer. This debilitating condition, which affects approximately nine per million people in Japan, lacks effective treatment options.