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

Ectopic Cushing’s secondary to rare lung disease seen in 2 women

A new report from researchers at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York details the cases of two women with ectopic Cushing’s secondary to diffuse idiopathic neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia, or DIPNECH — a rare lung disease that may lead to the development of tumors that in extremely rare cases may…

Dexamethasone test can detect Cushing’s in people with obesity

A low-dose dexamethasone test, which is commonly used to diagnose Cushing’s syndrome, can effectively detect the rare condition in people with obesity, according to a new study. However, despite the test’s effectiveness, the proportion of patients who ultimately were diagnosed with Cushing’s was low, at 0.2%. Given that finding,…

ACTH-producing advanced adrenal cancer is Cushing’s cause in woman

In what researchers describe as an “exceedingly rare” case, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-producing advanced adrenal gland cancer was determined to be the cause of Cushing’s syndrome in a 26-year-old woman in Portugal. Adrenocortical carcinoma is typically associated with ACTH-independent Cushing’s — forms of the syndrome in which excessive cortisol production is…

USP8 gene mutations found to cause 35% of pituitary adenomas

Mutations in the USP8 gene are found in 35% of the pituitary corticotroph adenomas that cause Cushing’s disease, and more commonly affect women than men, a review study found. Thus, targeting the gene and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) — whose levels are increased in patients with USP8 mutations…

Chromogranin A levels set Cushing’s disease, ectopic Cushing’s apart

A protein found in tissues that produce and release hormones may be a biomarker to help distinguish Cushing’s disease from adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-dependent ectopic Cushing’s. That’s according to a recent study in Japan that also reported that chromogranin A was higher in people with ACTH-dependent ectopic Cushing’s than those…

GRACE trial testing relacorilant in Cushing’s meets primary goal

Among people with endogenous Cushing’s syndrome whose high blood pressure, or hypertension, dropped after five months on relacorilant, that response was maintained when the patients continued treatment for an additional period of three months. That’s according to new data from the randomized withdrawal phase of the Phase 3…