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

Severe attack, relapse rate predict poor azathioprine, MMF response

A severe attack or a higher annual relapse rate before starting azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was associated with a poor response in people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a small study shows. An unsatisfactory response to either treatment, defined as a severe relapse or two or more…

Involuntary function problems linked to worse life quality

Problems in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which regulates involuntary bodily processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion, are very frequent among people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a study has shown. All 80 NMOSD patients in the study experienced ANS-related symptoms, and a greater burden…

Lesion resolution may distinguish NMOSD, MOGAD, MS in children

Brain and spinal cord lesions resolve less often in children with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) than with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD), a related disorder, according to a small study. No significant differences in resolving lesions were seen between children with NMOSD and those with multiple…

Familial clustering in NMOSD may be more common than thought

Familial clustering of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) — having more cases within families than what would be expected — is more common than originally thought. That’s according to a new study whose findings highlight a complex genetic predisposition to the progressive autoimmune disease. Certain DNA variants were shared…

Visual, verbal impairments seen in third of NMOSD patients in study

More than a third of people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) show cognitive impairment, particularly in visual processing speed and verbal domains, according to a large study in Germany. This cognitive impairment was independent of disease duration and remained constant over two years of follow-up. It also did…

NLR immune cell ratio may be NMOSD inflammation biomarker

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have a significantly higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), an immune cell-based marker of inflammation, than healthy people, a review study showed. A higher NLR ratio was also significantly associated with a greater chance of relapse, severe disability, and new or enlarging lesions on…

NMOSD, MOGAD Medical Care Maintained in COVID-19 Pandemic

Access to care and the use of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic were generally kept up in people affiliated with specialized centers in Germany and Austria who had neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD), a study showed. Moreover, “patients’ satisfaction with medical…