There seems to be a paradox between estimated abortion figures and the significant decrease in abortion deaths in Mexico. A multinational collaborative study shows up to 10-fold overestimation of the actual induced abortion figures in Mexico DF when opinion surveys were used. Moreover, the report shows that 98 percent of maternal death causes are unrelated to induced abortion, highlighting the importance of increasing emergency and specialized obstetric care in Mexico to improve maternal health.

Researchers at the Universidade Federal in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil have found that introduction of a normal copy of the p53 gene in p53-defective cancer cell lines makes these cells sensitive to the anti-tumor proprieties of resveratrol, the naturally occurring dietary compound found in red wine.

New study done at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil reveals that amyloid fibers are caught in a cellular trap, with devastating consequences for amyloidosis patients. The study's results have clear implications for the etiology of amyloidosis, an often-deadly disease against which little progress has been made in recent years.

Using functional MRI, researchers at the Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit at the D'Or Institute, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil have found that the human brain responds to affiliative experiences in a very particular way. These findings may greatly improve our current understanding of how our emotions are triggered.

Many strategies aiming at holding back the extreme response of the immune system during sepsis have been developed but little progress has been made. A new study shows that a drug known as RC-3095 attenuates the release of exacerbating immune response elements in patients with sepsis and limits the spread of infection in sepsis animal models, indicating the potential of RC-3095 in preventing sepsis-induced multiple organ dysfunctions.

Prions, the causal agents of mad cow and other diseases, are very unique infectious particles. In a paper published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, researchers in Brazil present new evidence that a prion-like behavior may be responsible for tumor formation and progression. The new finding may dramatically transform our way of thinking of cancer and treating cancer patients.