News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 13-Jan-2026 09:11 ET (13-Jan-2026 14:11 GMT/UTC)

18-May-2021

People who have had dengue are twice as likely to develop symptomatic COVID-19

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

This is the main finding of a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.The authors analyzed blood samples collected in a town in the Brazilian Amazon before and after the first wave of the pandemic to detect the presence of antibodies against dengue virus and SARS-CoV-2.

Journal

Clinical Infectious Diseases

Funder

São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Brazil). Geochronologic research at the MIT Isotope Lab

17-May-2021

Exposure to lead can cause epigenetic changes even at relatively low levels

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Workers with blood lead levels below the legal ceiling in Brazil expressed a microRNA associated with a decrease in DNA methylation, a physiological process required for the organism to be in balance. However, known clinical manifestations occur when levels are high.

Journal

Frontiers in Genetics

Funder

São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Brazil). Geochronologic research at the MIT Isotope Lab

12-May-2021

Obese girls face heightened risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Conclusion was drawn from a study that involved 92 adolescents aged 11-18. The findings underscore the importance of considering differences between the sexes when treatment is planned.

Journal

Frontiers in Nutrition

Funder

São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Brazil). Geochronologic research at the MIT Isotope Lab

12-May-2021

Scientists use genetic engineering to explore mechanisms involved in psychiatric disorders

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The research group created a virus capable of acting on specific adult brain regions, helping to elucidate the role of key neurons in the prefrontal cortex. They tested the technique on mice.

Funder

São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Brazil). Geochronologic research at the MIT Isotope Lab

11-May-2021

Phenomenon explains why patients who survive sepsis die sooner after hospital discharge

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A review article by Brazilian researchers shows that alterations in the defense cell metabolism may explain why many patients who survive sepsis die within a year or suffer from long-term complications.

Journal

Frontiers in Immunology

Funder

São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Brazil). Geochronologic research at the MIT Isotope Lab

10-May-2021

The formation of the Amazon Basin influenced the distribution of manatees

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Whole mitochondrial DNA sequencing of the three extant species of the aquatic mammal shows that they first split from their common ancestor after geological events isolated the South American region from the sea. The African species may have originated in migration borne by marine currents.

Journal

Scientific Reports

Funder

São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Brazil). Geochronologic research at the MIT Isotope Lab

10-May-2021

Informed tourists make whale watching safer for whales

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

How does whale watching affect whale behavior? Who watches whales in Panama's Las Perlas Archipelago? Researchers from STRI and ASU hope to recommend innovative data-based conservation strategies.

Journal

Frontiers in Marine Science

7-May-2021

Soybean and linseed oils added to cows' diet improve the quality of milk

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Brazilian researchers show that feed supplementation improves fatty acid profile of milk and promotes a healthier omega-6/omega-3 ratio.

Journal

PLOS One

Funder

About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

5-May-2021

Study shows how low-protein intake during pregnancy can cause renal problems in offspring

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In an article published in PLOS ONE, scientists at a FAPESP-supported research center describe the impact of hypoproteinemia on the expression of microRNAs associated with kidney development in rat embryos.

Journal

PLOS One

Funder

São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Brazil). Geochronologic research at the MIT Isotope Lab

4-May-2021

Phase transition inside the nucleus provides oncogenic function to mutant p53 in cancer

Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem (INBEB)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), in Brazil, have found a crucial link between phase transition (aggregation) of mutant p53 protein and cancer pathology. The study opens new paths for the development of novels drugs against the disease. The results have been published in advance in the scientific journal Chemical Science.

Journal

Chemical Science

Funder

Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support in the State of Rio de Janeiro, National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, National Council for Scientifc and Technological Development