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.

Inherited one-hit gene mutation provides new opportunity for colon cancer prevention

More than 30 years ago, Alfred Knudson Jr., M.D., Ph.D., revolutionized the field of cancer genetics by showing that a person must lose both their paternal and maternal copies of a particular class of cancer-inhibiting genes, called tumor-suppressor genes, in order to develop cancer.

15 Sep 2008

Anti-inflammatory drugs may mask prostate cancer marker

Regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen, may reduce serum levels of the prostate biomarker, PSA (prostate specific antigen), and hence may alter the detection of prostate cancer in individuals who take these medications.

14 Sep 2008

The underdevelopment of a specific brain region may cause schizophrenia

The underdevelopment of a specific region in the brain may lead to schizophrenia in individuals. According to research published today in BioMed Central's open access journal Molecular Brain, dentate gyrus, which is located in the hippocampus in the brain and thought to be responsible for working memory and mood regulation, remained immature in an animal model of schizophrenia.

10 Sep 2008

Refined Pap smear test more accurate

Italian researchers have found that a new method of testing for cervical cancer is more accurate than a pap smear and also picks up more dangerous lesions.

10 Sep 2008

New technique in blood analysis may speed diagnosis of heart attacks

Someday doctors may be able to use a blood test to confirm within minutes, instead of hours, if a patient is having a heart attack, allowing more rapid treatment that could limit damage to heart muscle.

9 Sep 2008

Common painkillers lower levels of prostate cancer biomarker

Common painkillers like aspirin and ibuprofen appear to lower a man's PSA level, the blood biomarker widely used by physicians to help gauge whether a man is at risk of prostate cancer.

9 Sep 2008

Common painkillers may lower a man's risk of prostate cancer

Scientists are suggesting that common painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen could possibly lower a man's risk of developing prostate cancer

8 Sep 2008

NIH tackles urologic chronic pelvic pain disorders

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announces awards to eight academic research centers to conduct collaborative studies of urologic chronic pelvic pain disorders by looking for clues outside the bladder and prostate. The total research investment for the five-year project is estimated to be up to $37.5 million.

7 Sep 2008

Panacea Pharmaceuticals issued U.S. patent for anti-HAAH antibodies

Panacea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced the issuance of U.S. Patent Number 7,413,737 covering antibodies against human aspartyl (asparaginyl) beta-hydroxylase (HAAH), a proprietary human cancer biomarker and therapeutic target.

3 Sep 2008

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals initiates phase I/II clinical trial in patients with peripheral arterial disease

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC, a clinical-stage drug-development company commercializing new drugs for the treatment of unmet medical needs, announced today that it has begun to enroll patients in a Phase I/II clinical trial of its lead drug candidate trans sodium crocetinate (TSC).

3 Sep 2008

Monitoring immune responses in disease

A recent study published in Clinical Immunology, the official journal of the Clinical Immunology Society (CIS), describes a new method enabling the detection of multiple parameters of single human cells.

3 Sep 2008

Height linked to risk of prostate cancer

A man's height is a modest marker for risk of prostate cancer development, but is more strongly linked to progression of the cancer, say Bristol researchers who conducted their own study on the connection and also reviewed 58 published studies.

3 Sep 2008

Men who have too much calcium in their bloodstreams may increase risk of fatal prostate cancer

Men who have too much calcium in their bloodstreams may have an increased risk of fatal prostate cancer, according to a new analysis from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin.

3 Sep 2008

A man's height linked to prostate cancer development and progression

A man's height is a modest marker for risk of prostate cancer development, but is more strongly linked to progression of the cancer, say British researchers who conducted their own study on the connection and also reviewed 58 published studies.

3 Sep 2008

The effects of A2 inhibitor Darapladib on human coronary athlerosclerotic plaque

A twelve month study of treatment with darapladib concluded that,Lp-PLA2 inhibition with darapladib prevented necrotic core expansion, a key determinant of plaque vulnerability.

2 Sep 2008

New diagnostic tools and biomarkers

Patients presenting shortness of breath on arrival at the emergency department (ED) can gain from improved diagnosis allowing physicians to distinguish congestive heart failure patients from those presenting pneumonia.

1 Sep 2008

New biomarkers in acute cardiac care

In conjunction with clinical assessment and the ECG, simple and rapid blood tests have become the standard for the detection of myocardial infarction. Starting in the year 2000, recommendations by the European Society of Cardiology and other major cardiology societies worldwide have begun to state uniformly that a rise in cardiac troponins - sensitive and specific markers for dying cells in the heart - is a prerequisite for the clinical diagnosis of myocardial infarction.

1 Sep 2008

A fitness test for DNA

Unusually high levels of physical exertion do cause oxidative stress, but this does not result in any long-term damage to DNA. This is just one of the many outcomes revealed by an extraordinary research project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF that are now published. As part of this project, 42 male athletes took part both in a triathlon and an extensive biomedical study, which examined numerous physiological values parameters during the period from two days before to 19 days after the triathlon.

21 Aug 2008

New imaging technology provides early diagnosis of osteoarthritis

A newly developed medical imaging technology may provide doctors with a long-awaited test for early diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA), scientists from New York reported today at the 236th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

20 Aug 2008

Skin odors used to detect basal cell carcinoma

According to new research from the Monell Center, odors from skin can be used to identify basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. The findings, presented at the 236th meeting of the American Chemical Society, may open doors to development of new methods to detect basal cell carcinoma and other forms of skin cancer.

20 Aug 2008