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.

PBI announces receipt of first purchase order for new Barozyme HT48 High-throughput System

Pressure BioSciences, Inc., a leader in the development and sale of broadly enabling sample preparation solutions using pressure cycling technology ("PCT")-based instruments and consumables to the worldwide life sciences industry, today announced the receipt of the first purchase order for its new Barozyme HT48 High-throughput System.

10 Feb 2015

Roche announces acquisition of Signature Diagnostics

Roche announced today the acquisition of Signature Diagnostics AG, a privately held company based in Potsdam, Germany. Signature is a translational oncology and genomics company that develops large blood plasma and tissue biobanks in multiple cancers, including colorectal and lung, which are constructed from multicenter prospective clinical studies.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 10 Feb 2015

Researchers identify immune biomarkers that could help predict complications in HIV/TB patients

Doctors treating patients battling both HIV and tuberculosis (TB)--many of whom live in Africa--are faced with the decision when to start those patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) while they are being treated with antibiotics for active TB disease. Some patients fare well on both interventions, with the immune system in check and the TB controlled.

10 Feb 2015

Study: Simple blood test could predict risk of developing dementia

Scientists at Rigshopitalet, Herlev Hospital and the University of Copenhagen identify a new biomarker that can predict the risk of developing dementia by way of a simple blood test. In the long term, this could mean better prevention and thus at least postponement of the illness and at best evading the development all together.

10 Feb 2015

Researchers develop new MRI-based technique to better detect NAFLD in children

Between 5 and 8 million children in the United States have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), yet most cases go undiagnosed. To help address this issue, researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine have developed a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based technique to help clinicians and researchers better detect and evaluate NAFLD in children.

6 Feb 2015

Vanderbilt researchers find link between the biological clock and Angelman syndrome

Monitoring participants' biological clocks may be the quickest way to determine the effectiveness of experimental drugs currently under development to treat Angelman syndrome: a debilitating genetic disorder that occurs in more than one in every 15,000 live births.

6 Feb 2015

ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group opens clinical trial for women with newly diagnosed DCIS

In direct response to recommendations made by a National Institutes of Health scientific consensus panel, the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group announced today the opening of E4112, a clinical trial for women with newly diagnosed ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast who, together with their doctors, will use the results of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam to determine whether to undergo a lumpectomy or a mastectomy.

6 Feb 2015

Scientists investigate how T cells in colorectal tumors actively fight cancer

In recent years, a standard follow-up to colorectal cancer surgery has been to analyze the tumor tissue for the presence of immune cells. Finding high quantities of cytotoxic T cells, or "killer cells", means that there is a good chance that the disease will take a favorable course and that the risk of metastasis is comparatively low.

5 Feb 2015

Study focuses on two natural approaches to preventing breast cancer

Preventing cancer requires intimate knowledge of how cancer starts, what causes it to grow and flourish, and how to stop it in its tracks. Sometimes this comes in the form of a vaccine (the HPV vaccine for cervical and head and neck cancers), a screening (a colonoscopy for colorectal cancer) or a blood test (the PSA level test for prostate cancer).

5 Feb 2015

Study could lead to potential therapeutic targets to treat Ewing Sarcoma

A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the journal PLoS One finds alterations in expression of genes PIK3R3 and PTEN, more commonly observed in adult tumors, in the rare, young-adult bone cancer Ewing Sarcoma, potentially offering ways to improve therapy.

4 Feb 2015

Clusters of gene-blocking microRNAs can limit spread of cancer

Cancers that have spread throughout the body, a process known as metastasis, are difficult, often impossible, to control. They are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths.

4 Feb 2015

Movement tracking device can effectively help assess progression of Parkinson's disease

A device that measures movement and balance can effectively help assess and track the progression of Parkinson's disease, even when medications are used to reduce Parkinson's symptoms, UT Southwestern Medical Center research found.

From APDM Wearable Technologies 4 Feb 2015

New test can help measure vital aspects of retinal health

New research published in the February 2015 issue of The FASEB Journal details a test developed using mice that can help measure two important aspects of retinal health--the function of retinal blood vessels and light-detecting cells. This approach opens new possibilities for understanding the molecular changes that occur in retinal disease and for evaluating the benefits of treatment early in the course of disease.

3 Feb 2015

Mathematical models of cancer behavior offer new insights on tumor growth

Hassan Fathallah-Shaykh, M.D., Ph.D., believes that math can transform medicine, and he has the numbers to prove it.

2 Feb 2015

Multiplexed testing for EGFR and ALK gene rearrangements may be cost-effective for NSCLC treatment

Multiplexed genetic screening for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements and subsequent biomarker-guided treatment is cost-effective compared with standard chemotherapy treatment without any molecular testing in the metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) setting in the United States.

31 Jan 2015

New eye-tracking device measures severity of concussion and brain injury

New research out of NYU Langone Medical Center could move the medical community one step closer toward effectively detecting concussion and quantifying its severity.

29 Jan 2015

Developmental salivary biomarkers linked to feeding success in newborns

Results from a study published online in the Journal of Pediatrics hold the potential to substantially improve clinical decision-making to determine when a premature newborn is ready for oral feeding. The study describes developmental salivary biomarkers associated with feeding success in newborns, markers that could lead to development of objective assessment tools for caregivers.

28 Jan 2015