Polymerase Chain Reaction News and Research

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Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a revolutionary laboratory technique that enables the replication of a specific DNA sequence. Using PCR, millions of copies of a target DNA can be easily synthesized within a short period of time.

Chinese study of serogroup 6 S. pneumoniae finds no antibiotic-resistant clones

A survey of serogroup 6 Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from children in China has identified no antibiotic-resistant clones, leading the authors to speculate that the isolates may be under antibiotic selective pressure.

8 Sep 2014

Researchers modify protocol to test dangerous form of antibiotic resistance

Researchers from Oregon State Public Health Lab have modified the protocol for a relatively new test for a dangerous form of antibiotic resistance, increasing its specificity to 100 percent.

8 Sep 2014

Mutant allele frequency predicts lung cancer TKI response

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor sensitivity may be predicted by the frequency of a point mutation in the epidermal growth factor receptor gene, suggests a study of Japanese patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

28 Aug 2014

CD157 important in malignant pleural mesothelioma

CD157 plays a pivotal role in the progression of malignant pleural mesothelioma and may be useful in the stratification of patients into different prognostic groups, Italian research suggests.

20 Aug 2014

Blood and saliva tests help accurately predict recurrences of HPV associated oral cancers

Physicians at Johns Hopkins have developed blood and saliva tests that help accurately predict recurrences of HPV-linked oral cancers in a substantial number of patients.

1 Aug 2014

ROS1 fusion genes found in young East Asian patients with lung adenocarcinoma

ROS1 fusion genes were successfully detected independent of gender or smoking history in young East Asian patients with lung adenocarcinoma, a histological subgroup in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), using multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) diagnostic tests.

22 Jul 2014

Saudi Arabian researchers detect genetic fragments of MERS-CoV in the air of camel barn

Saudi Arabian researchers have detected genetic fragments of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the air of a barn holding a camel infected with the virus. The work, published this week in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, indicates that further studies are needed to see if the disease can be transmitted through the air.

22 Jul 2014

Third-line treatment options remain elusive for advanced, EGFR wild-type NSCLC

Phase II study findings show only marginal positive effects of third-line treatment with afatinib for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer in patients with wild-type epidermal growth-factor receptor tumour status.

23 Jun 2014

New project improves techniques for detecting E. coli

Kansas State University diagnosticians are helping the cattle industry save millions of dollars each year by developing earlier and accurate detection of E. coli.

17 Jun 2014

Survival differences after docetaxel, erlotinib are EGFR dependent

Results from the DELTA trial indicate no significant differences in progression-free or overall survival after treatment with docetaxel versus erlotinib in non-small-cell lung cancer patients unselected for their epidermal growth factor receptor mutation status.

16 Jun 2014

Rice develops highly accurate test to detect signs of HIV

Rice University bioengineers are developing a simple, highly accurate test to detect signs of HIV and its progress in patients in resource-poor settings.

6 Jun 2014

IL-8 expression predicts lung adenocarcinoma prognosis

Interleukin -8 expression is associated with a poor lung adenocarcinoma prognosis, say Japanese researchers, especially in patients whose tumours are positive for the KRAS mutation.

19 May 2014

Diagnosis of Huntington's disease requires combination of clinical symptoms, radiological changes, genetic diagnosis

Huntington's disease is an autosomal-dominant inherited neurodegenerative disease with a distinct phenotype, but the pathogenesis is unclear.

6 May 2014

Rare case of tuberculous otitis media described

South Korean researchers have reported a rare case of tuberculous otitis media and say that ear tuberculosis should be considered in patients presenting with otitis media complicated by facial paralysis.

7 Apr 2014

Researchers demonstrate accurate identification of amino acids

Some three billion base pairs make up the human genome-the floor plan of life. In 2003, the Human Genome Project announced the successful decryption of this code, a tour de force that continues to supply a stream of insights relevant to human health and disease.

7 Apr 2014