Marta Figueiredo, PhD,  Managing Science Editor—

Marta holds a biology degree, a master’s in evolutionary and developmental biology, and a PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. She was awarded a research scholarship and a PhD scholarship, and her research focused on the role of several signaling pathways in thymus and parathyroid glands embryonic development. She also previously worked as an assistant professor of an annual one-week embryology course at the University of Lisbon’s Faculty of Medicine.

Articles by Marta Figueiredo

Inhaled Ensifentrine Improves Lung Function, Phase 3 Trial Shows

Ensifentrine, Verona Pharma’s experimental inhalation therapy, safely and effectively improves lung function and reduces the rate and risk of exacerbations, or episodes of disease worsening, in people with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). That is according to top-line, six-month data from the Phase 3 ENHANCE-2…

Even At Low Levels, Long-term Air Pollution May Increase COPD Risk

Long-term exposure to air pollution, even at relatively low concentrations, is associated significantly with reduced lung function and may increase the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a population-based study in Canada. “Few studies have examined the relationship between air pollution and the lung health of adults…

Lung Signaling Protein ISM1 May Be New COPD Therapeutic Approach

Lung-directed treatment with isthmin 1 (ISM1) — a soluble signaling molecule naturally present in the lungs — reduced lung inflammation, suppressed emphysema development, and preserved lung function in a mouse model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a study shows. Emphysema is a severe form of COPD marked by damage…

Increased Mucus Protein From Viruses Linked to Exacerbations

The levels of a mucus protein called MUC5AC — abnormally increased when a person gets a viral infection — are associated with airway inflammatory responses and exacerbation severity in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a study shows. Simply put, the increased mucus protein from viruses creates a “vicious…

New Atlas of COPD Lung Cells May Help Advance Treatments

A team of researchers have created a comprehensive blueprint of cells that are in the lungs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, which helped them identify previously unknown cell subpopulations and changes in gene activity and cellular interactions. “Our analysis identified novel changes in gene expression [activity] and…