Posts by: Joana Fernandes, PhD

Joana Fernandes, PhD

Joana brings more than 8 years of academic research and experience as well as Scientific writing and editing to her role as a Science and Research writer. She also served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology in Coimbra, Portugal, where she also received her PhD in Health Science and Technologies, with a specialty in Molecular and Cellular Biology.

July 25, 2017July 25, 2017

SIRT3 Protein Needed for Supplement to Aid Heart in Friedreich’s Ataxia, Study Suggests

News

A protein called SIRT3 was essential to restore the heart contractility and energy metabolism that can result from an energy-promoting supplement called nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), researchers report from a study in Friedreich’s ataxia mouse models. ... Read more

July 18, 2017July 18, 2017

MicroRNAs Levels in Blood May Diagnose Friedreich’s Ataxia and Those Patients with Heart Failure, Study Says

News

Seven microRNAs that circulate in the blood may serve as biomarkers that help clinicians to diagnose Friedreich’s ataxia, according to results of a recent study. High levels of one of these ... Read more

July 6, 2017July 6, 2017

Researchers Create ‘Heart Cells in a Dish’ to Study FA Heart Disease

News

Australian researchers have successfully turned stem cells from Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) patients into heart cells to study molecular anomalies that may contribute to this disease. These “heart cells in a dish” provide ... Read more

May 2, 2017May 9, 2017

Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance Opens Two Research Grant Awards

News

Researchers working in Friedreich’s ataxia may submit their project proposals for funding by two grants awarded by the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), the Kyle Bryant Translational Research Award and ... Read more

April 27, 2017April 27, 2017

FDA to Host Patient-Focused Drug Development Meeting for FA Community

News

Patients with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) and caregivers may benefit from participating in the upcoming Patient-Focused Drug Development meeting by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The meeting will be ... Read more

March 7, 2017March 7, 2017

Preventing Frataxin Degradation May Be Strategy to Manage Friedreich’s Ataxia

News

Researchers may have found a new therapeutic target for the management of Friedreich’s ataxia. A study, “E3 Ligase RNF126 Directly Ubiquitinates Frataxin, Promoting Its Degradation: Identification Of A Potential Therapeutic ... Read more

February 23, 2017

Vibration Device, Equistasi, Seen to Aid Movement in Ataxia Patients in Small Study

News

Equistasi, a medical device, may improve limb and gait ataxia — a loss of control of voluntary muscular movement — in patients with hereditary cerebellar ataxia, such as Friedreich’s ataxia, ... Read more

February 21, 2017February 4, 2019

Late-Onset Friedreich’s Ataxia May Be Confused with Another Genetic Disorder, Case Study Finds

News

Symptoms of late-onset Friedreich’s ataxia may be confused with those of another genetic disorder, Charcot–Marie–Tooth (CMT) disease, according to a case study. Researchers called for a careful evaluation of patients ... Read more

January 12, 2017

Scientists Use Gene Editing Technique to Restore Production of Frataxin Protein in Mice

News

Researchers have successfully corrected a mutated frataxin gene that leads to reduced production of the frataxin (FTX) protein and development of disease in mice, according to new research. This achievement ... Read more

December 6, 2016

Researchers Identify Molecular Pathway Leading to Neuronal Loss, Heart Disease in Mice with Friedreich’s Ataxia

News

Researchers have identified the molecular mechanism through which loss of frataxin, the protein missing in Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), causes cell damage leading to neurodegeneration, according to a new mouse study. ... Read more

December 1, 2016

Scientists Find Mechanism That May Help Restore Frataxin in Friedrich’s Ataxia

News

Restoring normal frataxin production, the protein missing in Friedrich’s ataxia (FA), may become possible in the future, according to research recently published in the journal PLoS One. The study is ... Read more

November 8, 2016

Patients with Late-onset Friedrich’s Ataxia May Have Different States of Sensory Nerve Conduction

News

Patients with late-onset Friedrich’s ataxia (LOFA) may present variable sensory nerve conduction, according to new research. The study, “Variable Sensory Nerve Conduction Parameters In Late Onset Friedreich Ataxia,” was published ... Read more

September 27, 2016

Age and Genetic Severity May Be Predictors of Progression in Friedrich’s Ataxia

News

Researchers report that the analysis of the neurological changes occurring in patients with Friedrich’s Ataxia (FDRA) may serve as prediction factors of disease progression and be useful in the design ... Read more

September 14, 2016September 14, 2016

Restoration of Frataxin in Neurons from FA Patients May Halt Disease Progression

News

Recent research suggests that correcting the frataxin deficiency in neurons derived from Friedrich’s ataxia (FA) patients may not only stop disease progression, it may also lead to clinical improvement by rescuing ... Read more

September 1, 2016September 22, 2017

Novel Friedreich’s Ataxia Mouse Model May Be Helpful to Assess Potential Future Therapies

News

A new study from the University of California reported several unknown neurobehavioral deficits observed in an animal model for Friedrich’s ataxia (FA) that can be used to assess the effect of ... Read more