The group is responsible for the isolation and characterization of more than 15,000 strains of at least 200 different types of arboviruses. 34 of which are pathogenic to humans, of which four have been associated with epidemics in the Brazilian Amazon, the dengue virus (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4 serotypes), yellow fever, Mayaro and Oropouche. Other arboviruses pathogenic to humans have been sporadically isolated from humans, but many are often isolated from hematophagous arthropods and wild vertebrates. Some of these are important disease agents in humans, mainly responsible for encephalitis or meningoencephalitis. Possible new arboviruses have been isolated and their characterization studies are ongoing. We have also developed new diagnostic methods for arboviruses with greater sensitivity and specificity and faster.
Leader: Pedro Fernando da Costa Vasconcelos
Vice-Leader: Sueli Guerreiro Rodrigues
Bioecology and Control of Diptera Calyptratae
The Research Group deployed at UNIRIO aims to deepen studies related to the line of research "Biology, Ecology and Control of Diptera Muscoides". The objective of this work is to provide information on: (a) Biodiversity of Calyptratae Diptera, including ecological studies in the Atlantic Forest, rural and urban areas, (b) studies applied to environmental preservation, (c) dipole biology of importance in collective, economic and forensic health (d) to develop studies with applications in forensic entomology, (e) and with applications in larval therapy, (f) to contribute to programs for the biological control of vectors, (g) to promote health education in the state of Rio de Janeiro; (h) to carry out epidemiological studies of human myiasis in patients attended at hospitals in RJ.
Leader: Inocêncio de Sousa Gorayeb
Biologia Molecular dos Arbovírus e Vírus Causadores de Febres Hemorrágicas
A identificação genotípica de arbovírus patogênicos para o homem poderá fornecer subsídios para o entendimento da epidemiologia desses vírus, bem como, de informações acerca de genótipos associados com diferentes apresentações clínicas que possam explicar a ocorrência de diferentes padrões clínicos em diferentes epidemias. Além disso, o grupo realiza a caracterização genética de novos vírus circulantes principalmente na Amazônia Brasileira, o que ajuda o entendimento da eco-epidemiologia dos mesmos.
Leader: Ana Cecília Ribeiro Cruz
Vice-Leader: Daniele Barbosa de Almeida Medeiros
Diagnosis and Surveillance of Bacterial and Fungal Diseases in the Brazilian Amazon
Health research involving the different nosologies in the Amazon region, some of them with different epidemiological characteristics from other geographic areas, including epidemic potential, such as leptospirosis, cholera, typhoid fever and other salmonellosis, as well as shigellosis and colibacillosis. Studies involving these diseases in the Amazon are of fundamental importance for the construction of proposals aimed at the control of these diseases in the region. The group also develops research aimed at the standardization and implantation of new serological and molecular methods for the diagnosis of bacterial and fungal infections.
Leader: Silvia Helena Marques da Silva
The Laboratory of Leishmaniasis Transmitters was created in 1981 by Professor Leonidas de M. Deane for understanding the need to have professionals in the Oswaldo Cruz Institute who sought answers to the gaps in the knowledge of leishmaniasis, in addition to creating a Laboratory of Reference for vector studies. In 1992, this group of studies on leishmaniasis was officially recognized as an Accredited Laboratory of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Laboratory of Leishmaniasis Transmitters – LTL (Portuguese acronym), with Elizabeth Ferreira Rangel as Chief Researcher. Since then, in addition to several research projects in leishmaniasis, the group has been dedicated to the training of human resources, guiding students at different levels ranging from Scientific Initiation to PhD, teaching classes and / or coordinating courses in Post- Including outside the Oswaldo Cruz Institute. In 2004, the LTL was formally recognized as a National Reference Laboratory for Entomological Surveillance in Leishmaniasis, becoming part of the FIOCRUZ Leishmaniosis Reference Network, where it has been carrying out diagnostic / identification of vectors, training of Health Secretaries and participating in actions of entomological surveillance in areas of transmission of leishmaniasis, providing technical consultancies for State and Municipal Health Secretariats, Health Surveillance Department/ Ministry of Health. Recently, the Leader of the group was appointed as a member of the Committee of Specialists in Control of Leishmaniasis, the World Health Organization and is an Advisor to the Committee for the Control of Leishmaniasis, at the Pan American Health Organization.
Leader: Elizabeth Ferreira Rangel
Medical Entomology in the Amazon
It has been possible to know the distribution of the different species of anopheline mosquitoes in several endemic areas of the Amazon, its potential as a vector of malaria, its biology and habits and this has offered subsidies to the control sector of this endemic. In addition, the resistance of the main vector species to insecticides has been evaluated as a basis for the control of vectors of malaria carried out by government agencies. The determination of the food source (s) of the mosquitoes in order to determine the degree of antrophilia of the species and its condition as a vector of this protozoosis also subsidizes the control of the endemic. We have evaluated the efficacy of impregnated nets using the integrity, bioassay and colorimetric tests. Still, using molecular tools it has been possible to determine the species of the albitarsis complex and to correlate them with the transmission in different Brazilian endemic areas.
Leader: Marinete Marins Póvoa
Vice-Leader: Izis Monica Carvalho Sucupira
Personnel training in the area of parasitology, publications in indexed journals, coordination of projects linked to the graduate degree, contribution to the scientific development of the Amazon region.
Leader: Edilene Oliveira da Silva
Vice-Leader: Maristela Gomes da Cunha
Basic Immunology and Immunovirology
The Group of Basic Immunology and Immunovirology has been developing research in the field of immunology of the human host, with emphasis on the immunogenetic profile, evaluating the genetic polymorphisms of cytokines and other proteins of the immune response, as markers of susceptibility and resistance to infectious and parasitic diseases. The group has published articles in national and international journals describing the impact of mutations in the Mannose-binding lectin gene on HIV-1, HTLV, HCV and M. tuberculosis infections. Currently, projects that evaluate the impact of polymorphisms and mRNA expression of the Fas and FasL genes involved in the process of apoptosis in the course of HTLV-1/2, HIV-1 and Plasmodium vivax and falciparum infection are under development. A Doctorate project, which describes the impact of polymorphisms on the INF-γ, TGF-beta, IL-10 and TNF-alpha gene and its correlation with clinical-laboratory markers, is in the process of being completed.
Leader: Antonio Carlos Rosario Vallinoto
Biotechnological Inovations Applied to Puplic Health
The group aims to develop the knowledge and training of personnel for the elaboration of new methods, products and advanced protocols, integrating the established and innovative technologies for biomedical research in the scope of the study, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and pathologies of interest in line with public health policies. Over the past 5 years, about 300 viral strains, 20 bacteria (of which 02 with biotechnological potential) have been sequenced and characterized, 15 plasmids have been published and several papers have been published that have improved the understanding of the dispersion of important pathogens in the Brazilian territory, such as viruses Dengue and Yellow Fever. Molecular methods (RT Nested PCT, RT qPCR, RT-LAMP PCR) were developed for Yellow Fever. Tests that use nanoimmunocomplexes to capture Dengue and Oropouche virus particles are also under development.
Leader: Márcio Roberto Teixeira Nunes
Vice-Leader: João Lídio da Silva Gonçalves Vianez Júnior
To develop studies on the genetic diversity of human malaria parasites and the receptors related to their mechanisms of invasion and development of the humoral and cellular immune response, with extension to co-stimulatory molecules, TCR and HLA; To evaluate the molecular and immunological mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of the disease; investigate the mechanisms of erythrocyte invasion by human parasites; to investigate genetic diversity between hemoglobinopathies and enzymes involved in the metabolism of antimalarial drugs (CYP450); To assess the immune response of malaria co-infection and other diseases and to investigate the immunogenic aspects of anemia and malaria thrombocytopenia.
Leader: Ricardo Luiz Dantas Machado
Vice-Leader: Marinete Marins Póvoa
The Laboratory of Immunogenetics has been developing epidemiological studies associated with genetic markers and their biological relation in the pathogenesis of infectious and parasitic diseases. In this sense, the group has been directed to the study of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its markers of virulence, and currently, also the serological and molecular diagnosis of Treponema pallidum in congenital infections. The biological and evolutionary significance of gene-environment interactions is relevant to analyze and understand the genetic composition of current human populations, as well as to determine the function and application of several molecular markers in the diagnosis and prognosis of various types of diseases, such as gastric cancer. The glycoconjugates of blood groups ABH and Lewis, among others, have been characterized as to their distribution in several gastric pathologies, demonstrating their potential prognostic marker. The study of the ABH blood group in different species was also started.
Leader: Tereza Cristina de Oliveira Corvelo
Laboratory of Biomolecular Technology
The Biomolecular Technology Laboratory was conceived with the aim of offering, in a pioneering way in the northern region of Brazil, studies and the provision of services directed to animal health and conservation. The group also works in the area of genetics and molecular biology of microorganisms to study the microbiological diversity of the Amazon, and from the same exploration and molecular engineering of new compounds with potential application in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic and biofuel industries.
Leader: Evonnildo Costa Gonçalves
Human and Experimental Pathology and Immunopathology
The main objective of the group is to study the histopathological changes and the phenotypic response of the host in endemic and epidemic infectious diseases of the Amazon, neoplastic processes of regional interest.
Leader: Juarez Antônio Simões Quaresma
Protoparasites in Aquatic Animal in the Amazon
The research group formed in 1987, with an International Agreement between the Federal University of Pará and the University of Porto - Portugal, and which was also signed in 1994, an International Agreement between the Faculty of Agrarian Sciences of Pará and the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of Abel Salazar of the University of Porto - Portugal, through the Coordinators Professor Edilson Rodrigues Matos and Professor Carlos Azevedo, respectively representing the two Institutions of Higher Education. The research line started from this date is based mainly on: 1. the study of protoparasites in aquatic organisms of the Amazon region, when the various groups are analyzed, such as: fish, mollusks and crustaceans, seeking to contribute to a better knowledge of the state of health of the animals of the Amazonian fauna, identifying agents causing diseases with publication in specialized magazines of the obtained results, with the purpose of guiding the technical-scientific policy of the region, collaborating with the minimization of damages that may cause the population of the mentioned animals, and even with metabolic disorders in the human species, leading to a terminal infection with consequent dehydration, accompanied by gastrointestinal disorders. 2. In the study of the gametogenesis of aquatic organisms of the Amazon region, with emphasis on the morphology of the gametes with the intention of advising to systems of breeding, and even warning to the process of infertility of the animals, when affected of gonadal parasitic diseases, due to tissue destruction of the affected organs. The name of the Institution of Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of Pará - FCAP for Federal Rural University of Amazonia - UFRA.
Leader: Edilson Rodrigues Matos
Vice-Leader: Patricia Santos Matos
Protozoology and Helminthology
The studies developed and under development have made possible the knowledge about the distribution of amebiasis and toxoplasmosis in Belém, as well as the implantation and / or implementation of the laboratory diagnosis, including immunological methods, of these two Protozoan infections as well as giardiasis, cryptosporiosis, toxocariasis and malaria. As for toxoplasmosis, the laboratory diagnosis system was implemented for the different risk groups and a diagnostic network involving the municipal and state spheres for the pregnant and newborn population. In the case of toxocariasis, the helminth culture system was already implanted for antigen production and serological diagnosis in Belém. For amebiasis, a specific diagnostic method was established for the detection of Entamoeba histolytica antigen. Studies on malaria in the Amazon region have resulted in the knowledge of the degree of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to the antimalarial drugs, the genes involved in the resistance, the polymorphism of this protozoan, and the distribution of the Plasmodium vivax variants in our region. New methods to detect the resistance of this parasite to antimalarials are being implemented with the objective of improving the quality of the results and standardize methodology to make them comparable within Brazil and with those produced by the Amazonian countries. Also, rapid tests for the diagnosis of malaria (TDR) have been developed for sensitivity and specificity, as well as the consequence of the deletion of HRP2 and HRP3 genes in the performance of these tests.
Leader: Marinete Marins Póvoa
Vice-Leader: Giselle Maria Rachid Viana
Human and Evolutionary Immunogenetic Network
The collaborative activities of the participating groups will generate important results, clarifying the genetic basis of complex diseases, such as autoimmune disorders, cancer and infectious-parasitic diseases, also contributing to the understanding of its pharmacogenetics and the genetic modulation of its clinical evolution. In parallel, evolutionary aspects of immunorelevant genes in human populations will be addressed by elucidating the role of natural selection and stochastic factors in the biological history and microevolution of human populations.
Leader: Eduardo José Melo Dos Santos
Taxonomy, Morphology and Cell Biology of helminths of Human and Veterinary Interest
The LBCH-ICB-UFPA Group of "Taxonomy, Morphology and Cell Biology of human and veterinary interest" was created in early 2006, due to the UFPA-UFRJ Academic Cooperation Project approved in the PROCAD-CAPES / 2005 Official Notice, to create a reference research group in Helminthology in the North Region. Subsequently, the group has been honored with several other funding announcements among them: CAPES NF 2009; CAPES-BASASITOLOGIA 2010; UNIVERSAL-CNPq 2012, 2013; PPSUS 2009, 2013; PVE-CNPq / CAPES 2013, PRONEM-FAPESPA 2014, PRO-AMAZÔNIA-CAPES 2013; etc. Participating in networks of academic cooperation and national and international research, in addition to the training of human resources at Masters, Doctorate and PhD levels. They have publications in the areas of taxonomy and molecular biology of helminths, helminth proteomics, histopathology of the helminth-host interaction, and epidemiology of emerging and re-emergent diseases caused by helminths.
Leader: Jeannie Nascimento dos Santos
Vice-Leader: Adriano Penha Furtado
The Laboratory of Virology, of the Biological Sciences Institute (ICB) of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), nowadays coordinated by Professor Ricardo Ishak, was initiated by Dr. Francisco de Paula Pinheiro (Evandro Chagas Institute), still in 1970, as a by-product of his teaching collaboration with the ICB. However, the limitation of teaching activity prevented for some years, that hiring was made for an increase in the research and extension activities of this laboratory. Between 1997 and 2002, extension activity was prioritized when the Virology Laboratory became part of the Ministry of Health's National STD / AIDS Coordination Networks (T-Lymphocyte Determination, CD4 + and Plasma Viral Load Quantification). The association and commitment of the Laboratory of Virology with undergraduate and graduate studies has already prepared human resources that are now engaged in UFPA, HEMOPA, IEC and private laboratories in the city of Belém, as well as trained personnel that today teach, research and take graduation courses in places such as UNIFESP, UFRJ and in a laboratory unit of the Brazilian Army. The research projects of the Laboratory of Virology aim to elucidate aspects of the classic descriptive epidemiology of viral and bacterial agents that use the sexual way as the main form of dissemination in conjunction with the genetic characteristics of the host. In the last five years, the Virology laboratory received financial support from CNPq, PN-DST / AIDS / MS, the Department of Science and Technology of the State of Pará (SECTAM), the Foundation for Support and Research Development, FADESP, PROF (CAPES) of the NIH (USA) and the Japan Health Science Foundation (Japan).
Leader: Antonio Carlos Rosário Vallinoto
Vice-Leader: Ricardo Ishak