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.

Immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab shrinks tumors in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma

In a clinical trial of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, half of 25 patients with a rare type of virus-linked skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma experienced substantial tumor shrinkage lasting nearly three times as long, on average, than with conventional chemotherapy.

20 Apr 2016

New drug combination before surgery may improve outcomes in breast cancer patients

Results from the I-SPY 2 trial show that giving patients with HER2-positive invasive breast cancer a combination of the drugs trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) and pertuzumab before surgery was more beneficial than the combination of paclitaxel plus trastuzumab.

19 Apr 2016

Study investigates usefulness of plasma levels as biomarker for AD

A Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing paper published in Current Alzheimer Research presents the first detailed study of the relationship between plasma levels of two amyloid beta peptides (Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42), brain volumetrics (measures studying the size of brain, which shrinks with Alzheimer's disease) and cognitive performance in an investigation of the usefulness of plasma levels as a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease (AD).

19 Apr 2016

Specific intake levels of xanthohumol reduces obesity, cholesterol and elevated glucose

A recent study at Oregon State University has identified specific intake levels of xanthohumol, a natural flavonoid found in hops, that significantly improved some of the underlying markers of metabolic syndrome in laboratory animals and also reduced weight gain.

19 Apr 2016

Fujitsu develops portable breath sensor that can quickly measure concentration of gas components in people's breath

Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. today announced that it has developed a portable breath sensor that can extract and quickly measure the concentration of only specified gas components, such as ammonia, that are included at low concentrations in people's breath and are suggested to be correlated with lifestyle diseases.

19 Apr 2016

Small fibre neuropathy defies 'dying-back' nerve process

Neuronal degradation in patients with small fibre neuropathy is not dependent on nerve fibre length, study findings suggest.

18 Apr 2016

Studies confirm benefit of plasma genotyping to predict treatment outcomes for NSCLC patients

The benefit of plasma genotyping to predict treatment benefit in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is confirmed in three studies presented today at the European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland. Researchers however warned that plasma tests are unlikely to fully replace tissue biopsies.

18 Apr 2016

Radiation plus chemotherapy improves survival of low-grade brain cancer patients

New clinical-trial findings show that patients with a low-grade form of brain cancer who are treated with radiation plus a combination of chemotherapy drugs have better survival than patients treated with radiation alone.

16 Apr 2016

Alzheimer's preclinical staging criteria supported

The Alzheimer's disease preclinical staging criteria proposed by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association appear to be valid over more than a decade of follow-up, say researchers.

15 Apr 2016

New classifier method may improve diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders

Many doctors and scientists think they could improve the diagnosis and understanding of autism spectrum disorders if they had reliable means to identify specific abnormalities in the brain.

15 Apr 2016

Epigenomics receives FDA approval for Epi proColon®

Epigenomics AG, the German-American cancer molecular diagnostics company, has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Company’s lead product, Epi proColon®, the first and only FDA-approved blood-based colorectal cancer screening test.

14 Apr 2016

Common antihistamine may partially reverse damage to visual system in multiple sclerosis patients

A common antihistamine used to treat symptoms of allergies and the common cold, called clemastine fumarate, partially reversed damage to the visual system in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 68th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, April 15 to 21, 2016.

13 Apr 2016

New biomarker discovery could improve chances of developing effective TB vaccine

A team of scientists led by Oxford University have made a discovery that could improve our chances of developing an effective vaccine against Tuberculosis.

12 Apr 2016

Increased BMP7 levels predict PAH mortality

Elevated levels of circulating bone morphogenetic protein 7 are associated with an increased mortality risk in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, find Chinese researchers.

12 Apr 2016

Newcastle scientists develop new type of genetic blood test to diagnose liver scarring

Newcastle scientists and medics have developed a new type of genetic blood test that diagnoses scarring in the liver - even before someone may feel ill.

11 Apr 2016

Person's age, mobility could be powerful predictors of survival than certain biomarkers

Advances in technology allow scientists to measure intricate details about the human body that greatly enhance understanding of health, disease and aging.

7 Apr 2016

Carbohydrate-binding protein controls inflammation in osteoarthritis patients

More and more people, particularly older people, are suffering from osteoarthritis due to wear and tear on their joints. This primarily affects the knee and hip joints but also the spine. In earlier studies, scientists at MedUni Vienna Department of Orthopaedics showed that raised levels of certain proteins, so-called galectins, and their docking sites are found in patients with osteoarthritis.

7 Apr 2016

Lund researchers discover new biomarker that can predict type 2 diabetes risk

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have found a new type of biomarker that can predict the risk of type 2 diabetes, by detecting epigenetic changes in specific genes through a simple blood test. The results are published today in Nature Communications.

2 Apr 2016

MicroRNA controls tumor cell proliferation in most aggressive large B-cell lymphoma

A recent study by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine showed that a microRNA called miR-181a dampens signals from the cancer-driving NFκB protein pathway in the most aggressive large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). By reducing NFκB signaling, miR-181a controls tumor cell proliferation and survival and could be the target of novel therapies. The study was published in the journal Blood.

2 Apr 2016

Blood test to determine risk of heart disease may benefit middle-aged black women

Middle-aged black women have higher levels of a protein in their blood associated with a predictor of heart disease than their white counterparts, even after other factors, such as obesity, are taken into consideration, according to a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and School of Medicine.

31 Mar 2016

Biomarker News and Research

Further Reading

Immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab shrinks tumors in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma

New drug combination before surgery may improve outcomes in breast cancer patients

Study investigates usefulness of plasma levels as biomarker for AD

Specific intake levels of xanthohumol reduces obesity, cholesterol and elevated glucose

Fujitsu develops portable breath sensor that can quickly measure concentration of gas components in people's breath

Small fibre neuropathy defies 'dying-back' nerve process

Studies confirm benefit of plasma genotyping to predict treatment outcomes for NSCLC patients

Radiation plus chemotherapy improves survival of low-grade brain cancer patients

Alzheimer's preclinical staging criteria supported

New classifier method may improve diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders

Epigenomics receives FDA approval for Epi proColon®

Common antihistamine may partially reverse damage to visual system in multiple sclerosis patients

New biomarker discovery could improve chances of developing effective TB vaccine

Increased BMP7 levels predict PAH mortality

Newcastle scientists develop new type of genetic blood test to diagnose liver scarring

Person's age, mobility could be powerful predictors of survival than certain biomarkers

Carbohydrate-binding protein controls inflammation in osteoarthritis patients

Lund researchers discover new biomarker that can predict type 2 diabetes risk

MicroRNA controls tumor cell proliferation in most aggressive large B-cell lymphoma

Blood test to determine risk of heart disease may benefit middle-aged black women

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