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, including 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

Pulmonary rehab sites more than an hour away for US rural residents

Access to pulmonary rehabilitation programs for people with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and other chronic respiratory conditions is considerably more difficult for those living in rural U.S. regions than in urban areas, scientists report. Travel longer than 60 minutes affects more than 14 million U.S. residents of rural or underpopulated…

Cereno awarded compassionate use of CS1 for PAH

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cereno Scientific’s investigational drug CS1 in an extension of the ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial testing it in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This expanded access is sometimes called compassionate use. The…

Heart condition in PH tied to worst hospitalization outcomes in study

Atrial fibrillation or AF — a heart condition marked by an irregular heartbeat — is associated with longer hospital stays, higher inpatient mortality, and greater hospitalization costs in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), according to a new large-scale study. The findings indicate that this heart condition, common in people…

Survey reveals patients’ preferences for treating PAH

When choosing a treatment regimen, people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) consider the impact on physical limitations and survival at three years as the most important parameters to consider, according to a study in Germany. Meanwhile, unplanned hospitalizations within three years and short-term side effects were reported as less…

PH treatment aids children having congenital heart disease surgery

Treating children with Revatio (sildenafil) reduced pulmonary arterial pressure after surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD), according to a new analysis. The pulmonary hypertension (PH) treatment, given between one and two weeks before surgery, reduced how long cardiopulmonary bypass — a procedure that takes over the functions of the…

AARDC3 gene may be biomarker, treatment target in CTEPH

The ARRDC3 gene — implicated in inflammation and cell growth — may be a ferroptosis-related biomarker and treatment target in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), according to a new study. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent type of cell death involved in the damage of lung blood vessels and in lung…

Corsair raises $23M to support testing of treprostinil skin patch

Corsair Pharma has secured $23 million in financing to support clinical testing of a skin patch for the delivery of treprostinil to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the company announced. The transdermal patch is intended to provide continuous and consistent levels of treprostinil, similar to those achieved with…

Us2.ai, Duke University team up to develop better tools using AI

A joint initiative between a Singapore-based medical technology company and Duke University is aiming to develop and commercialize artificial intelligence, or AI, tools for echocardiography — using ultrasounds to visualize the heart. Researchers from Us2.ai, the first new company created from an 11-country cardiovascular research platform, have teamed up…

Gradient raises €14M in support of ultrasound-based device for PH

Gradient Denervation Technologies has raised €14 million (around $14.9 million) in funding to support the clinical development and testing of an ultrasound-based catheter device for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The minimally invasive catheter device is designed for use in the pulmonary arteries. It delivers therapeutic ultrasound…

People with severe CTEPH see improved risk profile with treprostinil

Treatment with treprostinil improved the risk profile in people with inoperable or persistent severe chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The risk profile was assessed using a risk score established to predict a response to treatment and survival in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the most common type…

Echocardiography useful in detecting PH, predicting its course

Echocardiography, a noninvasive imaging method to examine heart structure and function, can be useful in making a preliminary diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension and in determining its likely course, according to a review study. “In future, it is important to use multiple echocardiographic parameters for detection and predicting the prognosis…

Cognitive deficits seen in PAH may be due to blood vessel remodeling

About one-quarter of the pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients in a small study showed cognitive deficits, typically mild impairments in executive function and memory. Problems in abilities like executive function — a set of skills that include thinking, self control, and readily accessible memory that’s part of everyday life…