Laboratory News and Research

RSS

FDA clears BD MAX assay for detecting GBS DNA in Lim Broth cultures

BD announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance of the BD MAX Group B Streptococcus (GBS) Assay and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) moderate complexity test categorization on the second-generation BD MAX System.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 29 Mar 2012

MabCure retains CUNY CAT to evaluate monoclonal antibodies against ovarian cancer

MabCure Inc., a leading developer of antibody-based technology for the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian, prostate, colorectal and other cancers, has retained the CUNY Center for Advanced Technology (CUNY CAT) to evaluate its monoclonal antibodies against ovarian cancer cells as diagnostic reagents.

29 Mar 2012

MESO-1 device can help in diagnosis and treatment of cancer

A new device designed to more effectively produce DNA samples for genetic testing from slide-mounted tissue samples is better equipped than most models on the market to help in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

29 Mar 2012

Nature journal publishes first volume of Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia

The goal of cancer treatment is to match the right drug to the right target in the right patient. But before such "personalized" drugs can be developed, more knowledge is needed about specific genomic alterations in cancers and their sensitivity to potential therapeutic agents.

29 Mar 2012

MiR-375 regulates IL-13-induced changes in allergic diseases

Researchers have taken a critical step in understanding how allergic reactions occur after identifying a genetic signature for regulation of a key immune hormone, interleukin (IL-13).

29 Mar 2012

Scientists uncover new layer of information in the genetic code

A hidden and never before recognized layer of information in the genetic code has been uncovered by a team of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) thanks to a technique developed at UCSF called ribosome profiling, which enables the measurement of gene activity inside living cells - including the speed with which proteins are made.

29 Mar 2012

EU-funded project to help control appetite, combat obesity

The University of Liverpool is leading a £6milllion European project to develop and test new food products with satiating qualities to help control appetite, manage weight and combat obesity.

29 Mar 2012

Potential new therapy that kills cancer cells selectively

Researchers have made a drug that helps the immune system to break down cancerous tumors. It has worked on breast, bowel, prostate, ovarian, brain, bladder and liver cancers, while previous studies show it can also be used to fight some blood cancers. If given early, the drug could even be a cure, researchers say.

28 Mar 2012

Researcher joins nationwide effort to monitor resistance to antibiotics

Because infectious microorganisms are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, a Wayne State University researcher has joined a nationwide effort to monitor that resistance while optimizing the use of existing drugs.

28 Mar 2012

First Edition: March 28, 2012

Today's headlines recap yesterday's Supreme Court action related to the constitutionality of the individual mandate and set the scene for day 3 of the oral arguments, which will tackle issues of severalbility and questions about the health law's Medicaid expansion.

28 Mar 2012

Out-of-hospital use of GIK as therapy for ACS patients needs to be assessed

Patients experiencing symptoms such as chest pain who received from paramedics an intravenous solution consisting of glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) had no reduction in the rate of progression to heart attack and no improvement in 30-day survival, although GIK was associated with a lower rate of the composite outcome of cardiac arrest or in-hospital death, according to a study appearing in JAMA.

28 Mar 2012

Imatinib improves RFS, overall survival in GIST patients after surgery

Among patients with a high risk of recurrence of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor following surgery for its removal, patients who received imatinib (a drug to treat certain cancers) for 3 years instead of 1 had improved recurrence-free survival and overall survival, according to a study in the March 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Mar 2012

Hyperinsulinemia itself not a cause of atherosclerosis

A number of studies have shown that excess insulin circulating in the bloodstream is a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, a new study from Joslin Diabetes Center finds that this condition, called hyperinsulinemia, is itself not a cause of atherosclerosis.

28 Mar 2012

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle-induced hyperthermia can kill cancer cells

Using nanoparticles and alternating magnetic fields, University of Georgia scientists have found that head and neck cancerous tumor cells in mice can be killed in half an hour without harming healthy cells.

28 Mar 2012

Researchers identify genetic causes in nearly 1 in 5 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

Researchers have identified genetic causes in nearly 1 in 5 patients who suffer a type of heart failure called dilated cardiomyopathy.

28 Mar 2012

Mount Sinai researchers present 86 abstracts and plenary sessions at ACC meeting

Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers presented 86 abstracts and plenary sessions at the American College of Cardiology's (ACC) 61st Annual Scientific Session, including ground-breaking research on aggressive statin therapy, the prevalence of unrecognized cardiovascular disease symptoms in women, and morbidity associated with non-adherence to medication after stent implantation. The meeting took place March 23-27, 2012 in Chicago.

28 Mar 2012

UT Southwestern researcher wins prestigious award from International Atherosclerosis Society

Dr. Helen Hobbs, a preeminent researcher on the genetics of cholesterol metabolism at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has won a prestigious award from the International Atherosclerosis Society.

28 Mar 2012

New microfluidic chip more effective in detecting flu outbreaks

The H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009 underscored weaknesses in methods widely used to diagnose the flu, from frequent false negatives to long wait times for results. Now Boston University researchers have developed a prototype of a rapid, low-cost, accurate, point-of-care device that promises to provide clinicians with an effective tool to quickly diagnose both seasonal and pandemic strains of influenza, and thus limit the spread of infection.

28 Mar 2012

Experimental drugs from Sanofi and Regenron cut cholesterol in a new way

An experimental drug that acts in a novel way to lower cholesterol proved even more effective than statins and had few undesirable side effects, newly released data shows. The drug acts by modifying the way cholesterol levels are naturally controlled. A protein produced in the liver helps limit the amount of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, that liver cells can remove from the bloodstream. The new drug, called REGN727, is a monoclonal antibody, made in a laboratory, that blocks the action of that protein.

27 Mar 2012

Gold nanoparticles used to introduce chemical residues into the immune system

Developing a drug or vaccine requires a delicate balancing act with the immune system. On one hand, medications need to escape detection by the immune system in order to perform their function. But vaccinations - de-activated versions of a disease or virus - need to do the reverse. They prompt the immune system to create protective antibodies.

27 Mar 2012