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Biomarker may signal whether common back pain treatment will work

A new study from researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine has identified a unique protein complex that can be used to predict whether an epidural steroid injection will help relieve pain caused by a herniated disc in the lower spine.

10 Aug 2011

Pink or blue – now find out at 7 weeks of pregnancy

Now a simple blood test can determine a baby’s sex as early as seven weeks into pregnancy and is highly accurate if used correctly. Experts believe this will have a great impact on parents concerned about gender-linked diseases and those who are merely curious, as well as people considering the more ethically controversial step of selecting the sex of their children.

10 Aug 2011

Patients receive inadequate medical monitoring for prescribed drugs in psychiatric settings

New research from the University of Leicester demonstrates that psychiatrists are not offering adequate checks for metabolic complications that are common in patients with mental ill health - especially those prescribed antipsychotic medication.

10 Aug 2011

New study supports DNA-based 'biomarker' blood test for prostate cancer screening

A new study supports the use of a DNA-based "biomarker" blood test as a complement to the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test currently offered to screen men for prostate cancer. University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers report their findings online ahead of print in the British Journal of Cancer.

8 Aug 2011

New HIV numbers stable at 50,000 per year, down from 130,000 in the mid-1980s

According to government figures released Wednesday, the number of Americans newly infected with the AIDS virus each year has been holding steady at about 50,000. But a U.S. health official said just keeping the number stable was unacceptable, noting a dramatic increase in new HIV cases among young gay and bisexual black men.

5 Aug 2011

Researchers discover new tick-borne bacterium that causes ehrlichiosis in Wis., Minn.

A new tick-borne bacterium infecting humans with ehrlichiosis has been discovered in Wisconsin and Minnesota. It was identified as a new strain of bacteria through DNA testing conducted at Mayo Clinic.

4 Aug 2011

Accurate, non-invasive and inexpensive test can detect Alzheimer's

Scientists from Durin Technologies, Inc., and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-School of Osteopathic Medicine have developed a blood test that uses human protein microarrays to detect the presence of specific antibodies in the blood that can be used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease with unprecedented accuracy.

4 Aug 2011

Novel therapy reduces elevated blood levels of toxic protein in women with preeclampsia

A novel therapy that reduces elevated blood levels of a potentially toxic protein in women with preeclampsia, a dangerous complication of pregnancy, may someday address the therapeutic dilemma posed by the condition - balancing life-threatening risks to the mother with the dangers that early delivery poses to an immature fetus.

3 Aug 2011

New investment to strengthen Clearbridge Accelerator's incubation platform

Clearbridge Accelerator announced today that it has received an investment from Tim Draper, a well-established venture capitalist based in the Silicon Valley.

2 Aug 2011

'Systems biology' study of breast cancer

Using a "systems biology" approach - which focuses on understanding the complex relationships between biological systems - to look under the hood of an aggressive form of breast cancer, researchers for the first time have identified a set of proteins in the blood that change in abundance long before the cancer is clinically detectable.

29 Jul 2011

Patients with diabetes, depression more likely to develop serious eye disease

Patients with diabetes who also suffer from depression are more likely to develop a serious complication known as diabetic retinopathy, a disease that damages the eye's retina, a five-year study finds.

29 Jul 2011

Volunteers needed in worldwide study to help people breathe easier

Australian sufferers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), one of the most important causes of breathlessness and difficulty performing tasks of normal daily life, have the opportunity to participate in a worldwide study, starting this month, assessing a potential new treatment.

26 Jul 2011

WHO warns against blood test kits for tuberculosis

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) warning Sunday, the widely used blood tests to detect tuberculosis (TB) are “dangerous” to patients because they are unreliable and can produce incorrect results. The WHO announced that it will issue an unprecedented recommendation against using such tests for the infectious lung disease that affects some 14 million people worldwide. As much as a third of the world's population is thought to harbor the bacteria that cause TB.

21 Jul 2011

WHO to warn against use of TB blood test

The WHO on Sunday said it will release a guidance later this week on widely used blood tests for tuberculosis (TB) warning "against using such tests for the infectious lung disease that affects some 14 million people worldwide" because they can produce incorrect results, the Associated Press/Washington Post reports.

18 Jul 2011

IHD blood test for Alzheimer's disease yields 83% sensitivity and 82% specificity

Innovative Health Diagnostics (IHD), the innovative company specialising in the development of diagnostic blood tests for Alzheimer's disease and neurodegenerative illnesses presents its first clinical results for its IHD-Amy blood test for Alzheimer's disease.

18 Jul 2011

Blood tests encourage more people to participate in regular screening for colorectal cancer

Epigenomics AG, the cancer molecular diagnostics company, today announced the results of a survey conducted at europacolon's first European CRC Patient Conference, The Power of Patient Voice 2011, showing that patients believe tests using blood samples would encourage more people to participate in regular screening for colorectal cancer.

8 Jul 2011

Study finds link between genetic variation and cetuximab rectal cancer therapy

team of researchers led by Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) oncologist Heinz-Josef Lenz, M.D., has identified a genetic marker that may predict which patients with rectal cancer can be cured by certain chemotherapies when combined with surgery.

7 Jul 2011

Simple blood test for melanoma-inhibitory activity could detect neurofibromas

Neurofibromatosis (NF1) is a genetic condition which affects one in every 3,000 people. The severity of symptoms can range from benign 'café au lait' patches on the skin, through small tumors under the skin and deep plexiform neurofibromas, to malignant tumors of the nerve sheath.

4 Jul 2011

New highly-accurate blood test can measure all forms of vitamin D deficiencies

Researchers from London's Kingston University have developed a new highly-accurate blood test which can detect how much a patient's diet could be responsible for a lack of the so-called 'sunshine vitamin'. Vitamin D deficiencies can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of cancer and osteoporosis.

30 Jun 2011

Study aims to find out whether blood screening can diagnose early breast cancer

A study spearheaded by the University of Leicester aims to find out whether a blood test can detect cancer, earlier than current methods, in women with a strong family history of breast cancer.

27 Jun 2011