Publications by authors named "Bibiana S de O Fam"
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had a widespread global impact and presented numerous challenges. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has changed transmission rates and immune evasion, possibly impacting the severity. This study aims to investigate the impact of variants on clinical outcomes in southern Brazil.
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- The COVID-19 pandemic spurred significant research into how human genetics affects the severity of the disease, revealing key genetic factors that influence outcomes.
- Brazilian studies have specifically highlighted rare genetic variants related to Inborn Errors of Immunity that can lead to severe reactions in COVID-19, as well as other health issues.
- A recent GWAS study identified a new genetic locus linked to COVID-19 severity in Brazilian patients, emphasizing the need for further research into Brazil's genetic diversity to understand COVID-19 and other health conditions better.
Article Synopsis
- This study looks at special protein variants in primates related to the AVPR2 receptor, which helps manage water in the body.
- The researchers found that some parts of this protein show changes that might help explain a rare kidney problem in humans that causes too much water loss.
- They also discovered that how these proteins evolved is linked to other important proteins, but the changes didn’t seem to depend on the different climates where these primates live.
Article Synopsis
- STAT2 plays a crucial role in the immune response to viral infections, especially following type I interferon release, but many flaviviruses attack and impair STAT2 to weaken this defense.
- A study analyzed the STAT2 coding sequences from 28 rodent species and 49 primate species, finding various sites influenced by positive selection, particularly in relation to susceptibility to flavivirus infections.
- Results indicate that certain positively selected sites in the STAT2 gene contribute to the protein's stability and interaction with a flavivirus protein, suggesting that rodents may have a slight evolutionary edge over primates in defending against these viruses due to faster evolutionary rates.