Publications by authors named "I Bastos"

Article Synopsis
  • Visceral leishmaniasis is a serious disease primarily found in low- and middle-income countries, with limited treatment options due to toxicity and drug resistance.
  • Researchers developed a multitask learning (MTL) pipeline to predict the effectiveness of compounds against several species, screening about 1.3 million compounds and finding 20 potential candidates with significant antileishmanial activity.
  • Three of these compounds showed strong efficacy and moderate safety, suggesting they could lead to new therapies, while the use of explainable models aids in understanding how these compounds work, potentially improving drug discovery for neglected tropical diseases.
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The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has significantly challenged global public health, highlighting the need for effective therapeutic options. This study focuses on the papain-like protease (PLpro) of SARS-CoV-2, which is a critical enzyme for viral polyprotein processing, maturation, and immune evasion. We employed a combined approach that began with computational models in a virtual screening campaign, prioritizing compounds from our in-house chemical library against PLpro.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aims to explore the scientific evidence connecting social factors to health literacy in children and adolescents, using a scoping review method.
  • Researchers reviewed 21 studies, identifying key social determinants of health literacy, including sex, cognitive traits, family structure, and school environments.
  • The findings highlight the need for comprehensive educational and health strategies that address these social determinants to improve health literacy, in support of Sustainable Development Goals.
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Background: Mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) is a deforming type of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis caused by () that frequently does not respond to treatment. Despite its relapsing clinical course, few parasites are usually found in mucosal lesions. Host and parasite factors may be responsible for this paradox in the pathogenesis of the disease, allowing for both a low parasite burden and the inability of the host to clear and eliminate the disease.

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3D in vitro systems offer advantages over the shortcomings of two-dimensional models by simulating the morphological and functional features of in vivo-like environments, such as cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions, as well as the co-culture of different cell types. Nevertheless, these systems present technical challenges that limit their potential in cancer research requiring cell line- and culture-dependent standardization. This protocol details the use of a magnetic 3D bioprinting method and other associated techniques (cytotoxicity assay and histological analysis) using oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line, HSC3, which offer advantages compared to existing widely used approaches.

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