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.

Parkinson’s biomarker could be only skin deep

Deposits of α-synuclein in cutaneous nerves could represent a noninvasive biomarker for Parkinson’s disease, say researchers.

14 Nov 2013

CD137 T cell activation molecule can help identify rare antitumor T cells in human cancers

Patients with tumors that contain increased numbers of T lymphocytes generally survive longer than those with tumors without T-cell involvement, suggesting that T cells with potent antitumor function naturally exist in cancer and control tumor progression. With the exception of melanoma, it has been difficult to identify and isolate the tumor-reactive T cells from common cancers, however, the ability to do so could be used to fight a patient's own cancer.

14 Nov 2013

Acquired resistance to cancer therapies: an interview with Dr Rajendra Kumari, Chief Scientific Officer at PRECOS

Cancer can be treated by a number of different ways depending on the location, grade and stage of tumour. A patient's age, medical history and lifestyle will also be taken into consideration and a combination of treatments will also be adopted to provide maximum effect.

14 Nov 2013

AMP 2013: EKF Molecular Diagnostics to launch four new PointMan DNA enrichment kits

EKF Diagnostics, the global diagnostics business, announces that EKF Molecular Diagnostics will launch four new PointMan DNA enrichment kits.

From EKF Diagnostics 13 Nov 2013

Research reveals unexpected roles that sex hormones may play in cognitive function

Research released today demonstrates unexpected roles that sex hormones may play in the cognitive function of females, including memory and interpreting social cues.

12 Nov 2013

Research: New mechanisms and areas of brain linked with anxiety and depression

Research released today reveals new mechanisms and areas of the brain associated with anxiety and depression, presenting possible targets to understand and treat these debilitating mental illnesses.

12 Nov 2013

Xin is muscle damage biomarker

Researchers at McMaster University have discovered a protein that is only detectable after muscle damage, and it may serve as a way to measure injury.

12 Nov 2013

Pregnant women may transmit effects of stress to child by way of bacteria in vagina and placenta

Pregnant women may transmit the damaging effects of stress to their unborn child by way of the bacteria in their vagina and through the placenta, suggest new findings from two animal studies presented by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania at Neuroscience 2013, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.

12 Nov 2013

New biosensor could help doctors devise new ways to minimize brain damage during heart surgery

Johns Hopkins engineers and cardiology experts have teamed up to develop a fingernail-sized biosensor that could alert doctors when serious brain injury occurs during heart surgery. By doing so, the device could help doctors devise new ways to minimize brain damage or begin treatment more quickly.

11 Nov 2013

GW Pharmaceuticals starts Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme

GW Pharmaceuticals plc a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel therapeutics from its proprietary cannabinoid product platform, announced today it has commenced a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for the treatment of Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme.

11 Nov 2013

Treatment with rheumatoid arthritis drug saved transplanted kidney and achieved remission

A drug approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis may also turn out to be the first targeted therapy for one of the most common forms of kidney disease, a condition that almost inevitably leads to kidney failure.

11 Nov 2013

Researchers reveal that reduction in mitochondrial DNA may lead to metastasis of breast cancer cells

For years, scientists have observed that tumor cells from certain breast cancer patients with aggressive forms of the disease contained low levels of mitochondrial DNA. But, until recently, no one was able to explain how this characteristic influenced disease progression.

11 Nov 2013

Volition’s NuQ-5mc assay detects 75% of patients with colorectal cancer

VolitionRx Limited, a life sciences company focused on developing blood-based diagnostic tests for different types of cancer, today announces the publication of preliminary data from an ongoing independent trial of one of its NuQ assays.

8 Nov 2013

GLP-1 hormone can predict metabolic efficacy of gastric bypass

The sensitivity of the GLP-1 hormone, which is secreted by the gastrointestinal tract, can predict the metabolic efficacy of a gastric bypass. The use of a GLP1 challenge could thus function as a novel predictive biomarker for personalized treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

8 Nov 2013

Study: Increased duration of breastfeeding could be associated with decreased incidence of autism

In an article appearing in Medical Hypotheses on September 20, a New York-based physician-researcher from the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine has called for the testing of umbilical cord blood for levels of a growth protein that could help predict an infant's propensity to later develop autism.

6 Nov 2013

Effective strategy for noninvasive detection of cancer

Molecules that bind and illuminate proteins specific to tumor cells are key to detecting cancer as early as possible. The cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme is just such a protein, as the concentration of COX-2 is greater in cancer cells than in adjacent normal tissues.

5 Nov 2013

Trophos completes efficacy study of olesoxime in patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Trophos SA, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics from discovery to clinical validation for indications with under-served needs in neurology and cardiology, has completed its efficacy study of olesoxime in the rare neurodegenerative condition Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

5 Nov 2013

Biothera announces top-line results from Phase 2b clinical trial in non-small cell lung cancer

Biothera announced today top-line results from its Phase 2b clinical trial in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that evaluated its immunotherapeutic drug candidate, Imprime PGG®, with cetuximab (Erbitux®), carboplatin and paclitaxel compared with the monoclonal antibody and chemotherapy combination alone.

5 Nov 2013

FDG-PET parameter predicts locally advanced lung cancer survival

High post-treatment concentrations of a radioactive imaging marker are predictive of worse overall survival from inoperable, locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, prospective study findings suggest.

31 Oct 2013

Interim data from Phase 1B trial of an investigational anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in patients with previously-treated NSCLC announced by Merck

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced the presentation of interim data from a Phase 1B trial (PN001) evaluating MK-3475, an investigational anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, in patients with previously-treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The data were presented today by Dr. Edward Garon, Director of Thoracic Oncology, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, at the 15th World Conference on Lung Cancer in Sydney, Australia (Abstract #2416).

31 Oct 2013

Biomarker News and Research

Further Reading

Parkinson’s biomarker could be only skin deep

CD137 T cell activation molecule can help identify rare antitumor T cells in human cancers

Acquired resistance to cancer therapies: an interview with Dr Rajendra Kumari, Chief Scientific Officer at PRECOS

AMP 2013: EKF Molecular Diagnostics to launch four new PointMan DNA enrichment kits

Research reveals unexpected roles that sex hormones may play in cognitive function

Research: New mechanisms and areas of brain linked with anxiety and depression

Xin is muscle damage biomarker

Pregnant women may transmit effects of stress to child by way of bacteria in vagina and placenta

New biosensor could help doctors devise new ways to minimize brain damage during heart surgery

GW Pharmaceuticals starts Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme

Treatment with rheumatoid arthritis drug saved transplanted kidney and achieved remission

Researchers reveal that reduction in mitochondrial DNA may lead to metastasis of breast cancer cells

Volition’s NuQ-5mc assay detects 75% of patients with colorectal cancer

GLP-1 hormone can predict metabolic efficacy of gastric bypass

Study: Increased duration of breastfeeding could be associated with decreased incidence of autism

Effective strategy for noninvasive detection of cancer

Trophos completes efficacy study of olesoxime in patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Biothera announces top-line results from Phase 2b clinical trial in non-small cell lung cancer

FDG-PET parameter predicts locally advanced lung cancer survival

Interim data from Phase 1B trial of an investigational anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in patients with previously-treated NSCLC announced by Merck

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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