Margarida Azevedo, MSc,  —

Margarida graduated with a BS in Health Sciences from the University of Lisbon and a MSc in Biotechnology from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST-UL). She worked as a molecular biologist research associate at a Cambridge UK-based biotech company that discovers and develops therapeutic, fully human monoclonal antibodies.

Articles by Margarida Azevedo

Researchers Push for Therapeutic Targets to Prevent Synapse Loss in Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s Diseases

Scientists at Boston Children’s Hospital have revealed the cellular and biological mechanisms involved in synapse loss in Alzheimer’s disease. By blocking certain agents involved in this process, scientists could halt synaptic loss, a discovery with therapeutic potential not only for Alzheimer’s, but also other diseases with loss of neuronal connections, including Huntington’s disease. The…

In Huntington’s Disease, Calcium Overload Leads to Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Cell Death

Researchers at Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University investigated the physiological and pathological role of MICU1 (Mitochondrial Calcium Uptake 1), a protein that controls calcium by the mitochondria, a process involved in cell survival. Results suggest that strengthening this protein’s function and inhibiting mitochondrial calcium uptake could be a novel therapeutic approach…

Huntington’s Pathology Seen in Songbirds’ Neuronal and Behavioral Response to HTT Mutation

New Huntington’s research sheds light on the link between the effects of the disease’s underlying mutation on brain structure and function, and consequent behavior anomalies. Studying the gene mutation’s expression in a precise brain area of songbirds, scientists observed how the mutation affects specific neurons and changes behavior, findings that could lead to the…

Key Findings in Early Huntington’s Disease May Provide Clues for Research, Help Classify Puzzling Brain Disorders

Researchers have developed a computational cognitive classification method that allows the differentiation of pre-symptomatic Huntington’s disease patients from early onset patients and healthy subjects, an approach that demonstrates promise for classification and prediction of brain disorders. The research paper, “A Computational Cognitive Biomarker for Early-Stage Huntington’s Disease,” was published…

Protein Plaques in Huntington’s Patients Have Distinct Structures That Hint at Disease Mechanisms

Researchers found that the mutant huntingtin protein aggregates characteristic of Huntington’s disease have distinctive structural features, a discovery that might help to uncover the disease’s underlying mechanisms and lead to new therapies. The study, “Huntingtin exon 1 fibrils feature an interdigitated β-hairpin–based polyglutamine core,” was published in Proceedings of the National…