Biomarker News and Research

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A biomarker is a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. A biomarker may be used to see how well the body responds to a treatment for a disease or condition. Also called molecular marker and signature molecule.

Dasatinib+letrozole improves survival for women with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer

Adding the drug dasatinib to a standard antihormone therapy, letrozole, doubled the time before disease progressed for women with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, according to results of a phase II clinical trial presented here at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 10-14.

13 Dec 2013

Circulating nucleosomes and colorectal cancer diagnostics: an interview with Dr. Stefan Holdenrieder, University Hospital Bonn

For my MD thesis I modified and evaluated an immunological assay that detected the cell death products “nucleosomes” as a new blood-based cancer biomarker. As cell death processes are enhanced or suppressed during different stages of tumor development, it was assumed that they may enable stage-dependent detection of cancer disease.

12 Dec 2013

Late-breaking abstracts on treatment of blood cancers and bleeding disorders presented at ASH meeting

A range of studies highlighting late-breaking research advances in the understanding and treatment of blood cancers and bleeding disorders are being presented today during the 55th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans.

12 Dec 2013

HSET protein could help doctors identify aggressive breast cancers in African-American patients

African-American women who get breast cancer often get more aggressive forms of the disease and at younger ages than other women.

12 Dec 2013

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes may be good biomarker of response to trastuzumab in breast cancer

Women with HER2-positive breast cancer who had the highest levels of immune cells in their tumors gained the most benefit from presurgery treatment with chemotherapy and trastuzumab, according to results presented here at the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 10-14.

12 Dec 2013

Nanostring Technologies announces nationwide availability of Prosigna Breast Cancer Assay in 2014

NanoString Technologies, Inc., a provider of life science tools for translational research and molecular diagnostic products, today announced nationwide availability of the Prosigna™ Breast Cancer Prognostic Gene Signature Assay beginning in the first quarter of 2014.

From NanoString Technologies 11 Dec 2013

Researchers identify 10 genes that may signify trifecta of benefits for women with ovarian cancer

Researchers in the Women's Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai's Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute have identified a series of 10 genes that may signify a trifecta of benefits for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer and ultimately reflect improved survival outcomes.

10 Dec 2013

Alnylam presents new pre-clinical data with ALN-AT3 for treatment of hemophilia and RBD

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that it has presented new pre-clinical data with ALN-AT3, a subcutaneously administered RNAi therapeutic targeting antithrombin (AT) for the treatment of hemophilia and rare bleeding disorders (RBD), at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) held December 7 - 10, 2013 in New Orleans.

10 Dec 2013

IBN and IBM discover new medical application for converted PET bottles

Researchers at Singapore's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) and California's IBM Research - Almaden (IBM) have discovered a new, potentially life-saving application for polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is widely used to make plastic bottles.

10 Dec 2013

Acetylon Pharmaceuticals presents positive interim data from two ricolinostat clinical trials at ASH 2013

Acetylon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the leader in the development of selective histone deacetylase inhibitors for enhanced therapeutic outcomes, today announced that positive interim clinical data from the two proof-of-concept clinical trials with selective HDAC6 inhibitor, ricolinostat (ACY-1215), were presented at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in New Orleans, LA.

9 Dec 2013

TAU researchers discover gene that may predict human responses to specific antidepressants

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, but they don't work for everyone. What's more, patients must often try several different SSRI medications, each with a different set of side effects, before finding one that is effective.

9 Dec 2013

Research findings suggest possible novel strategies to prevent SUDEP

Patients with epilepsy and, in particular, those with severe syndromic forms of the disorder, harbor a risk of sudden unexplained death in epilepsy, or SUDEP. Cardiac arrhythmias are a proposed cause. In a test of this theory, researchers have demonstrated that mice harboring a human SCN1A gene mutation that results in Dravet Syndrome, a severe and intractable genetic epilepsy, have electrical disturbances in the heart that culminate in ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death.

9 Dec 2013

Increased levels of protein HSET linked with worse breast cancer outcomes in African-Americans

Among African-American women with breast cancer, increased levels of the protein HSET were associated with worse breast cancer outcomes, according to results presented here at the Sixth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved, held Dec. 6-9.

9 Dec 2013

Scientists target protein-detection approach to systematically measure human repertoire of proteins

An international team of scientists led by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center cancer proteomics expert Amanda Paulovich, M.D., has demonstrated the feasibility of large-scale, standardized protein measurements, which are necessary for validation of disease biomarkers and drug targets.

9 Dec 2013

PKM2 protein controls mitosis, saving cancer cells from death and promoting brain tumor growth

Researchers have caught a protein they previously implicated in a variety of cancer-promoting roles performing a vital function in cell division, survival and development of brain tumors.

8 Dec 2013

Ancon Technologies unveils new cancer-screening device

Ancon Technologies, a company devoted to finding new ways to beat cancer, recently unveiled a new cancer-screening device to the public, the NBT detector. The company's latest product aims to bring cancer detection to the next level: it uses Nanoparticle Biomarker Tagging technology to identify cancer biomarkers in exhaled air.

6 Dec 2013

Biocartis, VIB partner to develop novel MSI biomarkers for colorectal cancer

Today Biocartis and VIB announced their exclusive license agreement on a novel panel of microsatellite instability biomarkers for several cancers, in particular colorectal cancer.

6 Dec 2013

Researchers identify biomarker that may accurately predict prostate cancer spread

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Alberta in Canada have identified a biomarker for a cellular switch that accurately predicts which prostate cancer patients are likely to have their cancer recur or spread.

6 Dec 2013

Ventana now offers FDA-cleared image analysis and digital read application for IHC breast markers

Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the Companion Algorithm ER (SP1) image analysis algorithm used with the VENTANA iScan Coreo scanner running Virtuoso software. With this clearance, Ventana is now the only company in the industry offering a comprehensive portfolio of FDA-cleared image analysis algorithms and digital read applications for the five key immunohistochemistry breast markers.

5 Dec 2013

Researchers find correlation between biomarker and patient’s ability to respond to Imprime PGG

Biothera researchers have broadened their understanding of a biomarker that may enable doctors to predict which cancer patients will best respond to Imprime PGG®, the company's immunotherapy in Phase 3 drug development for colorectal cancer.

5 Dec 2013

Biomarker News and Research

Further Reading

Dasatinib+letrozole improves survival for women with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer

Circulating nucleosomes and colorectal cancer diagnostics: an interview with Dr. Stefan Holdenrieder, University Hospital Bonn

Late-breaking abstracts on treatment of blood cancers and bleeding disorders presented at ASH meeting

HSET protein could help doctors identify aggressive breast cancers in African-American patients

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes may be good biomarker of response to trastuzumab in breast cancer

Nanostring Technologies announces nationwide availability of Prosigna Breast Cancer Assay in 2014

Researchers identify 10 genes that may signify trifecta of benefits for women with ovarian cancer

Alnylam presents new pre-clinical data with ALN-AT3 for treatment of hemophilia and RBD

IBN and IBM discover new medical application for converted PET bottles

Acetylon Pharmaceuticals presents positive interim data from two ricolinostat clinical trials at ASH 2013

TAU researchers discover gene that may predict human responses to specific antidepressants

Research findings suggest possible novel strategies to prevent SUDEP

Increased levels of protein HSET linked with worse breast cancer outcomes in African-Americans

Scientists target protein-detection approach to systematically measure human repertoire of proteins

PKM2 protein controls mitosis, saving cancer cells from death and promoting brain tumor growth

Ancon Technologies unveils new cancer-screening device

Biocartis, VIB partner to develop novel MSI biomarkers for colorectal cancer

Researchers identify biomarker that may accurately predict prostate cancer spread

Ventana now offers FDA-cleared image analysis and digital read application for IHC breast markers

Researchers find correlation between biomarker and patient’s ability to respond to Imprime PGG

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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