Publications by authors named "Joana Carreira"

Vascular calcification (VC) is a complex process involving vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) osteogenic differentiation, inflammation, and extracellular vesicle (EV) calcification and communication networks. Gla rich protein (GRP) is a calcification inhibitor involved in most of these processes. However, the molecular mechanism of GRP in VC and the specific characteristics, cargo, and functionality of calcifying EVs require further elucidation.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Chronic inflammation contributes significantly to chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs), and a protein called Gla-rich protein (GRP) shows promise as an anti-inflammatory agent, but its low solubility limits its use.
  • - Researchers created nanoparticles (FCNG) containing non-carboxylated GRP to enhance its stability and bioavailability, using a method called ionotropic gelation.
  • - FCNG was tested in human cell models and demonstrated increased levels of GRP while reducing inflammatory responses, indicating its potential as an effective anti-inflammatory treatment for CIDs.
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There are four neurological complications that can occur after malaria treatment at a time when the patient is aparasitaemic: delayed cerebellar ataxia, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, post-malaria neurological syndrome and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). The authors describe a case of a 54-year-old male who presented with encephalopathy and generalized seizures forty-three days after complete recovery from acute malaria by Plasmodium falciparum. Diagnosis of post-malaria ADEM was made based on the acute onset of the neurological symptoms, characteristic findings in magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and prompt response to steroid therapy.

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