A pioneering initiative led by researchers from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FiocThe Oswaldo Cruz Institute (OSC) seeks to consolidate a low-cost therapy to improve the quality of life of patients with chronic heart disease caused by Chagas disease. This is the objective of the Selenium Project, led by the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (OSC).IOC/Fiocruz), which will initiate phase 2 of the clinical study.
O anúncio It was held last Tuesday (April 14), World Chagas Disease Day, at an event at the headquarters of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), in Brasília.
The Selenium Project aims to enhance the quality of life of patients. Photo: Marcelo Gondim/CNPq
The activity included the participation of representatives from Fiocroz, do IOC, from CNPq, CAPES and the Ministry of Health (MS).
The new phase of the study aims to investigate the effectiveness of selenium supplementation combined with coenzyme Q10, a natural antioxidant compound essential for energy production and the proper functioning of organs such as the heart.
The Ministry of Health announced More than R$ 8 million will be invested in the project. The expectation is that the research will generate more robust and representative scientific evidence across different patient profiles.
According to the Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation in Health, Fernanda De Negri, scientific advances are essential to expand therapeutic options and ensure timely care within the Brazilian public health system (SUS).
"Chagas disease still affects many Brazilian families, especially in more vulnerable contexts. Therefore, investing in research in this area is also a commitment to equity and to promoting more dignified and accessible care for all," she emphasized.
The Ministry also reported that it supports the possible incorporation of selenium-based treatment into the SUS (Brazilian Public Health System).
Recent results available in the scientific literature suggest that the combination of these supplements – both authorized for consumption by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) – may generate greater cardiovascular benefits.
Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy is the main form of the disease and directly affects the structure and function of the heart.
The condition, which affects thousands of Brazilians, occurs in most chronic cases, being the leading cause of death from arrhythmia and heart failure related to the effects of infection by the parasite. trypanosoma cruziCurrently, there is no specific treatment that stops this progression.
“The Selenium Project reflects the Institute's commitment to scientific innovation and the development of accessible interventions for neglected conditions. Chagas cardiomyopathy is a critical manifestation of chronic Chagas disease, and supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10, due to their antioxidant properties, stands out as a low-cost approach with high potential for social impact,” emphasized the director of the project. IOC/FiocRuz and coordinator of the initiative, Tania Araújo-Jorge.
Scheduled to begin in the second half of this year, the second phase of the research aims to recruit up to 600 volunteers from six states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Goiás, Pernambuco, Ceará, and Minas Gerais.
The project is multicenter and will be carried out in partnership with specialized local teams in research centers in these states, who will monitor the volunteers. Participants can be individuals over 18 years of age with Chagas disease who present stages B1 and B2, which are the mild stages of the heart disease.
Participants will be divided into two groups. While one group will receive daily supplementation with capsules containing selenium and coenzyme Q10, the other, called the control group, will receive identical capsules containing an inert compound, scientifically known as a placebo.
Brazil nuts are the richest natural source of selenium. Photo: Pedro Guerreiro/Ag. Pará
Each patient will be monitored for 24 months, with clinical consultations, laboratory tests, and heart exams to assess the safety and benefits of supplementation.
“This project seeks to expand the care and treatment of people affected by Chagas disease. Even today, thousands of Brazilians live with the disease and the challenges related to timely diagnosis and lack adequate follow-up,” highlighted the project's deputy coordinator, Roberto Ferreira.
The Selenium Project is funded by the Ministry of Health and CNPq and has the support of the company Catalent and the Foundation for Support of Fiocruz (Fiotec). The clinical study has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee and the National Research Ethics Council (CONEP).
The launch of this new clinical trial was driven by the promising results of the first study conducted with 66 patients, supplemented only with selenium, treated at the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases (INI/F).iocruz), in Rio de Janeiro.
Published in the scientific journal EClinicalMedicine - The Lancet (October 2021) the study demonstrated that selenium supplementation was safe and showed no record of adverse reactions.
A potential beneficial effect of selenium treatment was identified in a subgroup of patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy and ventricular dysfunction, while the group that did not receive selenium supplementation presented the same condition or worsened.
The clinical phase was preceded by decades of experimental research that elucidated the role of selenium in reversing cardiac lesions in animal models.
The Selenium Project goes beyond the laboratories, integrating a strong social component, the Chagas XXI Express, a social technology that brings information, diagnosis, and "Science and Art" activities and scientific dissemination to communities in endemic regions for Chagas disease.
Citizens are not involved merely as spectators, but as active participants in a profound action that promotes understanding of individual health conditions and the problems of Chagas disease, which has medical, epidemiological, political-economic, and social dimensions.ioccultural.
“The research aims to inspire us and renew our hopes regarding new treatments, medications, and knowledge that shed light on what we still don't know. That is the role of science. When we talk about citizen science, we involve people not only as participants in the studies, but also so that they understand their condition, their life story, and contribute with their own questions for the project,” Tania emphasized.
Set up in schools and universities, the Chagas XXI Express is implemented in municipalities, offering workshops, games, laboratory activities, and discussion groups in settings designed to resemble train cars, in reference to the laboratory set up by Carlos Chagas on a train at the beginning of the last century.
Despite being described 117 years ago, Chagas disease remains neglected, with low investment in research, prevention measures, diagnosis, and treatment.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between six and seven million people worldwide are carriers of Chagas disease.
In Brazil, the Ministry of Health indicates that there are between one and four million affected individuals, with many cases not even being diagnosed.
Heart problems occur in most chronic cases with clinical manifestations of the disease, affecting approximately 400 to 900 Brazilians. In Brazil, about 4,5 people die annually from this condition, with the majority of deaths caused by cardiac disorders such as arrhythmia, heart failure, thromboembolism, and sudden death.
The parasite that causes the illness. trypanosoma cruzi It lodges in the heart and infects the heart muscle. In an attempt to fight the parasite, the body triggers an inflammatory response, which is not always well controlled and can be exaggerated, further aggravating the damage to the organ and, consequently, the disease.
This process occurs over years and, as a result, a kind of scar forms in the heart muscle, impairing its ability to pump blood and perform the heart's electrical activity normally.
Thus, years after infection, patients begin to present symptoms of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy, generally with changes in the electrocardiogram, which are the first sign of the cardiac form of Chagas disease.
Established during the 72nd World Health Assembly in 2019, April 14th is celebrated as World Chagas Disease Day. The date commemorates 1909, when Carlos Chagas first identified the parasite. trypanosoma cruziThe causative agent of the infection was found in a patient: Berenice, a 2-year-old girl living in the city of Lassance, in Minas Gerais.
Published in the scientific journal Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, the description of the Chagas disease cycle was one of the most emblematic achievements of Brazilian science. In addition to characterizing the causative agent of the infection and the set of symptoms, Carlos Chagas identified the transmitting insect: the triatomine bug, popularly known as the kissing bug.
The mobilization to raise awareness of the problem originated from the patients and received intense support from the scientific and health communities, including... IOC and from FiocSince its founding in 2009, the International Federation of Associations of People Affected by Chagas Disease (FINDECHAGAS), which brings together 20 civil society organizations from different parts of the world, has advocated for the creation of a World Day.
A pioneering initiative led by researchers from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FiocThe Oswaldo Cruz Institute (OSC) seeks to consolidate a low-cost therapy to improve the quality of life of patients with chronic heart disease caused by Chagas disease. This is the objective of the Selenium Project, led by the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (OSC).IOC/Fiocruz), which will initiate phase 2 of the clinical study.
O anúncio It was held last Tuesday (April 14), World Chagas Disease Day, at an event at the headquarters of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), in Brasília.
The Selenium Project aims to enhance the quality of life of patients. Photo: Marcelo Gondim/CNPq
The activity included the participation of representatives from Fiocroz, do IOC, from CNPq, CAPES and the Ministry of Health (MS).
The new phase of the study aims to investigate the effectiveness of selenium supplementation combined with coenzyme Q10, a natural antioxidant compound essential for energy production and the proper functioning of organs such as the heart.
The Ministry of Health announced More than R$ 8 million will be invested in the project. The expectation is that the research will generate more robust and representative scientific evidence across different patient profiles.
According to the Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation in Health, Fernanda De Negri, scientific advances are essential to expand therapeutic options and ensure timely care within the Brazilian public health system (SUS).
"Chagas disease still affects many Brazilian families, especially in more vulnerable contexts. Therefore, investing in research in this area is also a commitment to equity and to promoting more dignified and accessible care for all," she emphasized.
The Ministry also reported that it supports the possible incorporation of selenium-based treatment into the SUS (Brazilian Public Health System).
Recent results available in the scientific literature suggest that the combination of these supplements – both authorized for consumption by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) – may generate greater cardiovascular benefits.
Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy is the main form of the disease and directly affects the structure and function of the heart.
The condition, which affects thousands of Brazilians, occurs in most chronic cases, being the leading cause of death from arrhythmia and heart failure related to the effects of infection by the parasite. trypanosoma cruziCurrently, there is no specific treatment that stops this progression.
“The Selenium Project reflects the Institute's commitment to scientific innovation and the development of accessible interventions for neglected conditions. Chagas cardiomyopathy is a critical manifestation of chronic Chagas disease, and supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10, due to their antioxidant properties, stands out as a low-cost approach with high potential for social impact,” emphasized the director of the project. IOC/FiocRuz and coordinator of the initiative, Tania Araújo-Jorge.
Scheduled to begin in the second half of this year, the second phase of the research aims to recruit up to 600 volunteers from six states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Goiás, Pernambuco, Ceará, and Minas Gerais.
The project is multicenter and will be carried out in partnership with specialized local teams in research centers in these states, who will monitor the volunteers. Participants can be individuals over 18 years of age with Chagas disease who present stages B1 and B2, which are the mild stages of the heart disease.
Participants will be divided into two groups. While one group will receive daily supplementation with capsules containing selenium and coenzyme Q10, the other, called the control group, will receive identical capsules containing an inert compound, scientifically known as a placebo.
Brazil nuts are the richest natural source of selenium. Photo: Pedro Guerreiro/Ag. Pará
Each patient will be monitored for 24 months, with clinical consultations, laboratory tests, and heart exams to assess the safety and benefits of supplementation.
“This project seeks to expand the care and treatment of people affected by Chagas disease. Even today, thousands of Brazilians live with the disease and the challenges related to timely diagnosis and lack adequate follow-up,” highlighted the project's deputy coordinator, Roberto Ferreira.
The Selenium Project is funded by the Ministry of Health and CNPq and has the support of the company Catalent and the Foundation for Support of Fiocruz (Fiotec). The clinical study has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee and the National Research Ethics Council (CONEP).
The launch of this new clinical trial was driven by the promising results of the first study conducted with 66 patients, supplemented only with selenium, treated at the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases (INI/F).iocruz), in Rio de Janeiro.
Published in the scientific journal EClinicalMedicine - The Lancet (October 2021) the study demonstrated that selenium supplementation was safe and showed no record of adverse reactions.
A potential beneficial effect of selenium treatment was identified in a subgroup of patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy and ventricular dysfunction, while the group that did not receive selenium supplementation presented the same condition or worsened.
The clinical phase was preceded by decades of experimental research that elucidated the role of selenium in reversing cardiac lesions in animal models.
The Selenium Project goes beyond the laboratories, integrating a strong social component, the Chagas XXI Express, a social technology that brings information, diagnosis, and "Science and Art" activities and scientific dissemination to communities in endemic regions for Chagas disease.
Citizens are not involved merely as spectators, but as active participants in a profound action that promotes understanding of individual health conditions and the problems of Chagas disease, which has medical, epidemiological, political-economic, and social dimensions.ioccultural.
“The research aims to inspire us and renew our hopes regarding new treatments, medications, and knowledge that shed light on what we still don't know. That is the role of science. When we talk about citizen science, we involve people not only as participants in the studies, but also so that they understand their condition, their life story, and contribute with their own questions for the project,” Tania emphasized.
Set up in schools and universities, the Chagas XXI Express is implemented in municipalities, offering workshops, games, laboratory activities, and discussion groups in settings designed to resemble train cars, in reference to the laboratory set up by Carlos Chagas on a train at the beginning of the last century.
Despite being described 117 years ago, Chagas disease remains neglected, with low investment in research, prevention measures, diagnosis, and treatment.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between six and seven million people worldwide are carriers of Chagas disease.
In Brazil, the Ministry of Health indicates that there are between one and four million affected individuals, with many cases not even being diagnosed.
Heart problems occur in most chronic cases with clinical manifestations of the disease, affecting approximately 400 to 900 Brazilians. In Brazil, about 4,5 people die annually from this condition, with the majority of deaths caused by cardiac disorders such as arrhythmia, heart failure, thromboembolism, and sudden death.
The parasite that causes the illness. trypanosoma cruzi It lodges in the heart and infects the heart muscle. In an attempt to fight the parasite, the body triggers an inflammatory response, which is not always well controlled and can be exaggerated, further aggravating the damage to the organ and, consequently, the disease.
This process occurs over years and, as a result, a kind of scar forms in the heart muscle, impairing its ability to pump blood and perform the heart's electrical activity normally.
Thus, years after infection, patients begin to present symptoms of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy, generally with changes in the electrocardiogram, which are the first sign of the cardiac form of Chagas disease.
Established during the 72nd World Health Assembly in 2019, April 14th is celebrated as World Chagas Disease Day. The date commemorates 1909, when Carlos Chagas first identified the parasite. trypanosoma cruziThe causative agent of the infection was found in a patient: Berenice, a 2-year-old girl living in the city of Lassance, in Minas Gerais.
Published in the scientific journal Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, the description of the Chagas disease cycle was one of the most emblematic achievements of Brazilian science. In addition to characterizing the causative agent of the infection and the set of symptoms, Carlos Chagas identified the transmitting insect: the triatomine bug, popularly known as the kissing bug.
The mobilization to raise awareness of the problem originated from the patients and received intense support from the scientific and health communities, including... IOC and from FiocSince its founding in 2009, the International Federation of Associations of People Affected by Chagas Disease (FINDECHAGAS), which brings together 20 civil society organizations from different parts of the world, has advocated for the creation of a World Day.
The non-profit reproduction of the text is allowed as long as the source is cited (Comunicação / Instituto Oswaldo Cruz)
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