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

Warming strategies prevent surgical complications in woman with CAD

Warming strategies to prevent body temperature from dropping enabled a 42-year-old woman with cold agglutinin disease (CAD) to undergo a hysterectomy under general anesthesia without any disease-related complications, a study shows. “Comprehensive strategies — including measures to promote heat production, maintain core temperature, and prevent redistributive hypothermia — are…

Case of severe CAD emphasizes importance of early diagnosis: Study

A middle-aged woman in Iran with a history of Raynaud’s phenomenon was found to have cold agglutinin disease (CAD) after developing blue-tinged skin, known medically as acrocyanosis, and other severe symptoms, according to a case report highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and treatment in CAD. Raynaud’s…

Woman develops cold agglutinin disease secondary to blood cancer

A 79-year-old woman developed cold agglutinin disease (CAD) secondary to a rare, aggressive type of blood cancer called intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL), a case study reports. B-cell lymphomas are a form of blood cancer that affects B-cells, the type of white blood cell that produces antibodies, including those that…

CAD is most common AIHA type triggered by COVID-19: Review

Cold agglutinin disease (CAD) appears to be the most common type of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) — a group of autoimmune diseases marked by attacks on red blood cells — that is triggered by COVID-19, according to a review of published studies. Patients developed AIHA about 13 days after…

Epstein-Barr virus infection leads to secondary CAD in girl

A 12-year-old girl in Italy developed cold agglutinin disease (CAD) as a result of an infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the virus that causes infectious mononucleosis, a case study reported. Treatment with the corticosteroid methylprednisolone and intravenous immunoglobin (IVIG) progressively led to complete resolution of her CAD symptoms.

Warming methods during surgery safe for elderly woman with CAD

An 83-year-old woman with cold agglutinin disease (CAD) had knee surgery under local spinal anesthesia without any disease-related complications as a result of significant warming strategies to prevent her body temperature from getting too low, a study shows. During and after the surgery, the woman’s body temperature remained stable…

CAD likely caused blood clot during brain surgery: Case report

Cold agglutinin disease (CAD) was the likely cause of blood clot formation during brain surgery in a 57-year-old man, despite measures to prevent his body temperature from getting too low, a case study in Turkey showed. Because the clot occurred at the site where two brain blood vessels were…

Rituximab for CAD does not raise risk of severe COVID-19: Study

Rituximab does not seem to increase the risk for severe outcomes compared with other cold agglutinin disease (CAD) treatments in people who have the disease and COVID-19, according to a review study. “Nonetheless, caution is advised when using rituximab in CAD patients with COVID-19 and underlying [autoimmune] conditions…

Atypical symptoms, odd lab findings delay CAD diagnosis

Atypical symptoms, including persistent blue discoloration and skin lesions in the extremities, along with uncommon laboratory findings, delayed a cold agglutinin disease (CAD) diagnosis for more than a decade in a 60-year-old woman, a study reports. “This case adds important context to the difficulty in diagnosis of this disease,”…

Sanofi’s SAR445088 possible successor to Enjaymo

Sanofi’s experimental therapy SAR445088 effectively blocks the classic complement pathway — a part of the immune system that’s implicated in cold agglutinin disease (CAD) — and reduced red blood cell destruction in a cellular model of CAD, a study showed. SAR445088’s more targeted action may make it a…