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

SMA newborn screening covers 7% of babies worldwide: Study

Newborn screening (NBS) programs for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) were available in 33 countries as of the beginning of 2024, including the U.S. and most countries in the European Union. That’s according to a survey that gathered responses from experts in 80 countries. According to the researchers, “projections indicate…

COVID-19 made life with SMA more difficult, parents and doctors say

Limited social interaction and difficulties in accessing needed medications and physical therapy were consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents and grandparents of children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in Sweden reported. In online surveys and chats, family members spoke of having to take charge of their child’s physiotherapy and…

High adherence to Evrysdi linked to lower patient healthcare costs

Nonadherence of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients to their prescribed regimen of Evrysdi (risdiplam) — an oral solution generally taken once daily after a meal — is associated with higher healthcare costs, particularly in patients with type 2 disease. That’s according to a real-world study in the…

Blood creatinine levels may best mark progression, therapy response

Blood levels of creatinine, a byproduct of normal muscle function, may be a potential biomarker of disease severity and treatment response in adults and adolescents with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a study in China shows. Creatinine levels, overall, strongly associated with disease severity across two years of follow-up, and…

Hand strength improves for adults with SMA types 2, 3 taking Evrysdi

Evrysdi (risdiplam) effectively improved motor function in adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2 or type 3, particularly skills like hand strength and function, a small study in France shows. Most patients also reported gains in bulbar functions, that is, speaking, chewing, and swallowing, and eased breath…

Myosin protein patterns differ in early SMA type 1: Study

The muscle fibers of children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1 are substantially different from those of age-matched peers early in life, a study found. Muscle fibers are the basic units of muscle tissue that contract to allow movement. The differences were evident in levels and types of components…