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.

First biomarker discovered that predicts prostate cancer outcome

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified the first immune molecule that appears to play a role in prostate cancer development and in predicting cancer recurrence and progression after surgery.

17 Aug 2007

Why is heart disease so prevalent among diabetics?

Heart disease hits people with diabetes twice as often as people without diabetes.

13 Aug 2007

Green tea for cancer prevention

Concentrated chemicals derived from green tea dramatically boosted production of a group of key detoxification enzymes in people with low levels of these beneficial proteins, according to researchers at Arizona Cancer Center.

13 Aug 2007

GeneNews secures $2 million for development of prostate biomarkers

GeneNews Limited, a company focused on developing simple blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of diseases and personalized health management, today announced it has signed an agreement with an Asian Biomedical consortium to develop blood-based biomarkers for the detection and management of prostate diseases.

13 Aug 2007

Smokeless tobacco products are not safe

It may not be inhaled into the lungs, but smokeless tobacco exposes users to some of the same potent carcinogens as cigarettes.

11 Aug 2007

Statins do not protect against prostate cancer

A large community-based study refutes previous findings that statins , a top-selling drug class, worldwide -- might cut one's risk of developing prostate cancer by reducing production of the male hormones that fuel cancer growth.

11 Aug 2007

Potential new biomarker for heart failure also strongly predicts risk of death

A potential new biomarker for heart failure may be more powerful than established measures in identifying patients at increased risk for death from several causes.

7 Aug 2007

New tool for use in addressing lead poisoning

Lead in goat blood might not be on the top of your shopping list, but for U.S. medical personnel who each year perform more than 2 million human blood measurements, Standard Reference Material (SRM) 955c from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) can't be beat.

6 Aug 2007

Potential biomarker to predict acute kidney injury earlier than current tests

Clinicians currently lack advance warning of acute kidney injury (AKI) for patients where kidney injury timing is unknown.

3 Aug 2007

Jump in cancer-related clots

Blood clots are increasingly common in cancer patients, but University of Rochester Medical Center researchers have created a novel risk model that can predict, with 98 percent certainty, which patients will not get a blood clot.

3 Aug 2007

Phase II study of TroVax vaccine in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

A therapeutic cancer vaccine has shown effectiveness when given alongside chemotherapy to patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in a phase II trial, according to researchers at Oxford BioMedica (UK) Ltd.

2 Aug 2007

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol opens door for virus that causes Kaposi's sarcoma

The major active component of marijuana could enhance the ability of the virus that causes Kaposi's sarcoma to infect cells and multiply, according to a team of researchers at Harvard Medical School.

2 Aug 2007

Nimesulide delays pancreatic cancer precursors in mice

Nimesulide, a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, delays the progression of precancerous pancreatic lesions in mice, according to researchers at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

2 Aug 2007

Recent research into HPV and cervical cancer

The development of the first vaccine for the prevention of cancer came 30 years after Harald zur Hausen first hypothesized that human papilloma virus (HPV) might be associated with cervical cancer.

1 Aug 2007

Gene expression pattern could lead to improved treatment of pediatric septic shock

A consortium of researchers headed by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has discovered a gene expression pattern that could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of pediatric septic shock , still a serious public health problem despite today's potent antibiotics and pediatric intensive care units.

27 Jul 2007

Merck appoints David Kelley, M.D., to key role in growing Diabetes and Obesity franchise

Merck & Co., Inc. has announced that David E. Kelley, M.D., has been named vice president, franchise integrator for Diabetes & Obesity. Dr. Kelley joins Merck after 20 years on staff at the University of Pittsburgh, where he most recently served as professor of medicine and director of the Obesity & Nutrition Research Center.

24 Jul 2007