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Researchers discover five new genetic variants associated with brain cancer

The biggest ever study of DNA from people with glioma - the most common form of brain cancer - has discovered five new genetic variants associated with the disease.

1 Oct 2015

New test identifies viruses that infect people and animals

A new test detects virtually any virus that infects people and animals, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where the technology was developed.

30 Sep 2015

Researchers develop chip-based instrument for reliable detection of Ebola virus

A team led by researchers at UC Santa Cruz has developed chip-based technology for reliable detection of Ebola virus and other viral pathogens. The system uses direct optical detection of viral molecules and can be integrated into a simple, portable instrument for use in field situations where rapid, accurate detection of Ebola infections is needed to control outbreaks.

25 Sep 2015

Johns Hopkins scientists discover earliest premalignant genetic changes that mark potential onset of lung cancer

Working with tissue, blood and DNA from six people with precancerous and cancerous lung lesions, a team of Johns Hopkins scientists has identified what it believes are among the very earliest “premalignant” genetic changes that mark the potential onset of the most common and deadliest form of disease.

23 Sep 2015

New nanozyme test can help curb Ebola spread in western Africa

A new Ebola test that uses magnetic nanoparticles could help curb the spread of the disease in western Africa. Research published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics shows that the new test is 100 times more sensitive than the current test, and easier to use. Because of this, the new test makes it easier and cheaper to diagnose cases, enabling healthcare workers to isolate patients and prevent the spread of Ebola.

10 Sep 2015

Quest Diagnostics receives FDA 510(k) clearance for Simplexa HSV 1 & 2 Direct molecular test

Quest Diagnostics, the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, today announced that its Focus Diagnostics products business has received FDA 510(k) clearance to add the genital swab claim to its Simplexa HSV 1 & 2 Direct molecular test on the Integrated Cycler.

From Quest Diagnostics 4 Sep 2015

Benznidazole has significant antiparasitic activity, but does not reduce progression of Chagas cardiomyopathy

A 40 to 80 day treatment with the antiparasitic medication benznidazole significantly reduced parasite activity in the blood, but not progression, of serious heart problems over a 5-year period among patients with established Chagas disease (CD) cardiomyopathy, results of the BENEFIT trial show.

1 Sep 2015

Researchers identify genome-organizing mechanism that transmits vital genetic materials during mitosis

Chromosomes are responsible for carrying our genes and essentially protecting the information that helps ensure normal, healthy growth, with vital instructions being passed on from cell to cell by a process known as mitosis. While this copying mechanism has been well understood for decades, scientists have been unable to describe exactly how genetic information is protected and properly segregated as mitosis is happening.

7 Aug 2015

Autoantibody status fails to predict death risk in systemic sclerosis with PAH

Anticentromere and isolated nucleolar autoantibodies are prevalent in systemic sclerosis patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, but they do not predict survival, US research shows.

5 Aug 2015

Rare BCR-ABL fusions highlighted in CML

Chronic myeloid leukaemia patients with rare BCR-ABL fusions may be missed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, research suggests.

24 Jul 2015

Enigma, Beijing Leadman sign agreement for MiniLab molecular diagnostic Point-of-Care platform

Enigma Diagnostics Ltd. and Beijing Leadman Biochemistry Co., Ltd. signed a joint venture agreement with the principal goal of delivering the Enigma MiniLab molecular diagnostic Point-of-Care platform into the Chinese health care market to support its growing diagnostic needs.

23 Jul 2015

International research team identifies new gene associated with 4H leukodystrophy

Leukodystrophies are deadly neurodegenerative diseases that affect one in 7,000 children and remain incurable. These genetic diseases attack myelin or the "insulating rubber sheath" surrounding neurons, which leads to deteriorating health for affected children.

9 Jul 2015

Harvard Medical School scientists reveal structure of vesicular stomatitis virus protein

Viruses need us. In order to multiply, viruses have to invade a host cell and copy their genetic information. To do so, viruses encode their own replication machinery or components that subvert the host replication machinery to their advantage.

3 Jul 2015

dlDNA marks progression of HBV-related liver disease

The level of serum duplex-linear DNA increases markedly with liver disease progression and development of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, suggests research published in Gut.

30 Jun 2015

Ebola diagnosis now possible within minutes

The Lancet has published details of a new point-of-care test for Ebola virus that is as sensitive as the conventional laboratory test, but provides results within minutes.

25 Jun 2015

Hitachi High-Technologies, QIAGEN form new strategic partnership to advance molecular testing

Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation and QIAGEN N.V. have entered into a long-term strategic collaboration involving initiatives to deliver important advances in molecular testing.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 18 Jun 2015

Scientists identify new agent to combat tuberculosis

According to figures of the World Health Organization, some 8.7 million people contracted tuberculosis in 2012 and this disease is fatal for approximately 1.3 million people throughout the world each year. One of the main problems is that the tuberculosis pathogens have become resistant to the antibiotics used to fight them.

5 Jun 2015

Roche announces FDA 510(k) clearance for cobas HSV 1 and 2 Test

Roche announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration has provided 510(k) clearance for the cobas HSV 1 and 2 Test for the direct detection and differentiation of HSV-1 and HSV-2 DNA in anogenital specimens from symptomatic patients. With dual target detection and automation, the cobas HSV 1 and 2 Test provides laboratories with the capability to report up to 94 results in significantly less time than traditional methods and provides a simplified workflow for sample handling in the laboratory.

4 Jun 2015

Phase 2 results from Abbvie’s veliparib study in NSCLC presented at ASCO 2015

AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced findings from a Phase 2 study of the investigational medicine veliparib combined with the chemotherapy regimen carboplatin and paclitaxel that showed an improvement in median progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with previously untreated metastatic or advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are current smokers.

2 Jun 2015

New clinical studies on Myriad Genetics myChoice HRD companion diagnostic test presented at ASCO 2015

Myriad Genetics, Inc. today announced new clinical studies on its myChoice HRD companion diagnostic test at the 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting being held in Chicago, Ill.

1 Jun 2015