Andrea Lobo,  —

Andrea Lobo is a Science writer at BioNews. She holds a Biology degree and a PhD in Cell Biology/Neurosciences from the University of Coimbra-Portugal, where she studied stroke biology. She was a postdoctoral and senior researcher at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health in Porto, in drug addiction, studying neuronal plasticity induced by amphetamines. As a research scientist for 19 years, Andrea participated in academic projects in multiple research fields, from stroke, gene regulation, cancer, and rare diseases. She authored multiple research papers in peer-reviewed journals. She shifted towards a career in science writing and communication in 2022.

Articles by Andrea Lobo

Aspen wins $8M to advance Parkinson’s stem cell therapy

Aspen Neuroscience has been awarded an $8 million grant to advance the clinical development of ANPD001, its investigational stem cell therapy that’s designed to replace dopamine-producing nerve cells lost in Parkinson’s disease. The grant, funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), will support the ongoing Phase…

Increasing zinc transporter may be Parkinson’s therapeutic target

Enhancing mechanisms associated with the degradation of misfolded proteins at the proteasome, that is, cellular structures where these proteins are degraded, may be a new therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease. That’s according to a new study in fruit flies, where researchers found that the ZIP7 protein,…

Protein-like polymer may limit oxidative stress, protect nerve cells

A newly developed molecule showed an ability in lab studies to activate antioxidant responses in brain cells by altering how two proteins, believed to be involved in the development of Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, interact. The small molecule, known as a protein-like polymer, is designed to bind to…

Method generates dopaminergic neurons lost in Parkinson’s disease

Researchers in Canada have developed a new method to generate functional dopaminergic neurons, the dopamine-producing nerve cells lost in Parkinson’s disease, from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC). The scientists used an antibody to selectively activate FZD5, a receptor, in the stem cells, which stimulated a specific molecular signaling pathway involved…

RAB32 gene mutation tied to higher Parkinson’s risk, study finds

People who carry a specific mutation in the RAB32 gene have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, researchers at the University of Florida found. The mutation, called RAB32 Ser71Arg, was identified in 16 individual families from different ethnic groups and increased the activation of the LRRK2 protein, a…