Margarida Maia, PhD, science writer —

Margarida is a biochemist (University of Porto, Portugal) with a PhD in biomedical sciences (VIB and KULeuven, Belgium). Her main interest is science communication. She is also passionate about design and the dialogue between art and science.

Articles by Margarida Maia

Gene Therapy Lowers Toxic RNA Due to C9ORF72 Mutations in ALS

One-time delivery of a CRISPR-based gene therapy significantly reduced the buildup of toxic RNA molecules resulting from C9ORF72 mutations in cells and mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the therapy’s developer, Locanabio, reported. The approach was designed using the company’s CORRECTx platform, which uses CRISPR technology to…

Lab Results Support Advancing QRL-201 to Clinical Trial

An investigational antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) molecule that works by increasing the production of Stathmin-2 protein effectively reversed a number of neurodegenerative processes in lab-grown motor neurons, the cells that are damaged in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study found. The rescue occurred even in the absence of TDP-43, a…

TQS-168 Found to Reduce Inflammation, Extend Survival in Mice

TQS-168, an investigational therapy being developed by Tranquis Therapeutics, reduced inflammation in mouse and human models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and prolonged survival in the mice, according to a preclinical study. Based on these findings, Tranquis is moving the therapy into Phase 1 clinical studies. “We believe…

Higher ‘Good’ Cholesterol Levels Appear to Lower Risk of ALS

Certain blood biomarkers of lipid, or fat, metabolism — typically measured to determine a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease — appear to protect against developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study of more than 500,000 adults reported. Specifically, researchers found that people with higher levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL)…

Speech Study Using AI Technology to Spot ALS Biomarkers

A technology based on artificial intelligence is helping to spot biomarkers and document the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a large speech study being conducted by EverythingALS. The technology, developed by Modality.ai, is a web-based computer program that uses audio (speech) and video (facial) recordings…