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Search for: "antibodies" - 250 articles found

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Tissue-Tek Genie® Advanced Staining System

The Tissue-Tek Genie® brings next-generation automation to immunohistochemistry staining. Combining intelligent processing, robust performance and simplified operation, the system helps laboratories achieve consistent diagnostic-quality results while maximising productivity. Developed for today's demanding pathology environments, the Tissue-Tek Genie and its portfolio of 130+ antibodies…

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    nSMOL Antibody BA Kit

    Highlights:nSMOL is a proprietary, innovative technique from ­Shimadzu, enabling selective proteolysis of the Fab region of monoclonal antibodies.The nSMOL Antibody BA Kit is a ready-to-use reagent kit for collecting monoclonal antibodies from blood or other biological samples using immunoglobulin collection resin, and then performing selective proteolysis of the Fab region of these…

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      Article • Digital pathology and AI

      Finding new biomarkers to match the biological complexity of cancer

      Advances in artificial intelligence and multimodal data integration are poised to revolutionise cancer diagnostics – but significant challenges remain before these technologies can be routinely deployed in clinical practice. Professor Manuel Salto-Tellez outlined the steps needed to bridge the gap between complex tumour biology and the relatively simple biomarkers currently available, speaking…

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      Article • Hengrui Pharma charts its global strategy at ESMO

      Meet the Chinese company advancing European oncology

      Hengrui, one of China's leading pharmaceutical companies, is preparing to bring its cancer therapies to international markets. At the ESMO congress in Berlin, Yuting (Shelley) Liu, Head of China Business Development and Strategy of Hengrui Pharma, shared insights into how the company is translating decades of Chinese market experience into a global oncology strategy.

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      Article • Reshaping GI cancer care

      Pathologists at the heart of precision oncology

      Biomarker testing is ushering in a novel era of therapy personalisation for gastroesophageal and colorectal cancers, according to experts presenting at the 37th European Congress of Pathology in Vienna this September. During a session on state-of-the-art in gastrointestinal biomarkers, speakers outlined how targeted therapies and immunotherapies are transforming treatment options – but…

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      Article • Sustainable workflows

      Designing the laboratory of the future

      Laboratories across Europe are embracing sustainability through paperless workflows and automation. In this guest article, Gavin Hirst, Clinical Flow Cytometry Account Manager at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, shares his thoughts on how digital transformation and eco-friendly practices not only advance climate goals but enhance efficiency, allowing scientists to focus on critical research rather…

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      Article • Promising, but in need of further validation

      Implementation challenges of blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease

      Blood-based biomarker (BBB) tests may represent the best weapon to combat the soaring rates of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) throughout the world. Existing clinically validated tests are currently deployed to facilitate diagnosis, to monitor disease and effectiveness of treatments, to quantify progression, and to determine if a patient is appropriate for treatment or participation in a clinical…

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      Article • Keynote on integrated diagnostics

      Predicting – and shaping – the future of modern pathology

      Complex diseases could require complex biomarkers for accurate diagnosis in the years ahead, according to a leading pathologist. In a keynote address to the 36th European Congress of Pathology in Florence, Italy, Professor Manuel Salto-Tellez highlighted this as one of the major future challenges for the discipline. However, he also believes pathologists will sit at the core of modern medicine.

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      Article • Molecular meets digital

      Single-cell multiplex imaging: a powerful tool for digital pathology

      Multiplex imaging can play a critical role in unravelling the tumour microenvironment. The potential and benefits of the emerging approach – a way to extract information from human tissue samples by visualising many more biomarkers than traditional microscopy – was highlighted in presentations during the 36th European Congress of Pathology in Florence, Italy. Speakers also discussed novel…

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      News • Gene Therapy

      Innovative gene therapy for hemophilia

      Until now, those affected have had to inject the missing coagulation factor proteins themselves several times a week. Gene therapy now offers those affected the prospect of an improvement: the therapeutic agent is administered as a single intravenous injection.

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      Sponsored • Diagnostic imaging in Rome

      Brand-new nuclear medicine department equipped with advanced Total-Body PET/CT system

      The new Nuclear Medicine Department of the San Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital was inaugurated in Rome. The Department was inaugurated with the online intervention of Health Minister Orazio Schillaci and in the presence of Maria Tripodi (Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation), Antonello Aurigemma (President of Lazio Regional Council).

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      Article • Pros and cons of diagnostic techniques

      Liquid biopsy vs. tissue biopsy: Getting the best of both worlds

      Tissue biopsy and liquid biopsy can increasingly be used as complementary or alternative approaches, with advantages and limitations to each. While speakers at the recent 35th European Congress of Pathology in Dublin were quick to highlight that liquid biopsy was not about to replace tissue biopsy, the focus looked at the benefits and challenges of each through the lens of four expert speakers.

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      Article • Five-year EU project to avoid heart damage in oncology patients

      Cardiac collaterals in breast cancer therapy

      Modern cancer therapies are tough on the tumours, but often, also on the heart of the patients. The “CARDIOCARE” project aims to reduce the cardiac burden of anti-cancer therapies through more patient-tailored treatment approaches. At the ESC cardiology congress, Professor Katerina Naka from the project’s consortium explained why older patients are at the highest risk of cardiotoxic…

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      Article • Progress, limitations, and opportunities

      Precision oncology: incredible potential, but not a miracle cure

      Unanswered questions are hampering clinicians in their efforts to get the best out of a precision medicine approach for their patients. Speaking at the Genomics and Precision Medicine Expo in London at the end of May, cancer educator Dr Elaine Vickers said the benefits of being matched to an investigational drug remain questionable for most people with advanced cancer.

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      Article • Confirming initial positive findings

      First-tier rapid serology testing for Lyme disease

      Lyme disease, the most common tick-transmitted bacterial infection in the world, is challenging to diagnose. Initial early-stage symptoms may include skin rash, fever, headache, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and/or body and joint aches. However, these symptoms are also associated with many other diseases and medical conditions.

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      Lab-on-a-chip

      Multiplexed lab-on-a-chip bioassays for testing antibodies against SARS-CoV 2 and its variants in multiple individuals

      The coronavirus pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 and its variants is still a major public safety issue worldwide. The “alpha” variant B.1.1.7, the “gamma” variant P.1, the “beta” variant B.1.351, and the “delta” variant B.1.617 are of particular concern because of their high prevalence. Large-scale vaccination and sensitive detection are vital for preventing the spread of Covid-19.

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      Article • Overheard at AACC

      The complexities of drug testing in urine and hair

      Urine screening tests using only immunoassays are the most common procedures used to identify drug abuse. They are inexpensive, automated, and produce rapid results. But they may generate false-positive or false-negative results, which vary based on the drug, drug class, and the assay used. Hair toxicology analysis is another form of drug testing which, unlike urine tests, enable analysis of drug…

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      Article • Diabetes

      Microneedles: Nano-sized, huge impact

      Drug delivery, blood extraction, contrast agent injection – many procedures in modern medicine would be utterly impossible without needles. Despite the benefits, inserting pointy metal tubes into a patient also comes with several drawbacks. By downscaling the to micrometer-size, Japanese researchers open even more areas of application for needles, while bypassing some of the most important…

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      Article • New EU regulation

      Lab tests: Watch out! Conflict ahead

      In May 2022 a shortage of several lab tests may come as many manufacturers struggle to comply with EU regulation requirements covering in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDR, Regulation (EU) 2017/746). Even modified tests and laboratory-developed tests will present a problem for hospitals and labs as explained by Dr Thomas Streichert.

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      News • Coronavirus inhibition

      Highly potent antibody against SARS-CoV-2 discovered

      Scientists at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have discovered a highly potent monoclonal antibody that targets the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and is effective at neutralizing all variants of concern identified to date, including the delta variant. Their findings are published in the journal Cell Reports.

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      News • Cancer research

      How to break through a tumor's protective shield

      The immune system protects the body from cancer. To protect healthy body cells from its own immune system, they have developed a protective shield: the protein CD47 is a so called "don’t eat me" signal, which tells the immune cells to stand back. Tumor cells exploit this CD47-based protection strategy for evading the immune system, by increasing presentation of CD47 on their cell…

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      News • Rare liver disease

      New test improves diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis

      Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic liver inflammation that is triggered by an immunological malfunction. In this case, the immune system falsely recognises the patient's own liver cells as "foreign to the body". The symptoms of this rare liver disease are unspecific, and the exact cause is not yet known. If left untreated, AIH can lead to abnormal scarring (fibrosis) of the liver,…

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      News • Immune response study

      Is a "natural" Covid-19 infection better than vaccination? It's complicated

      Hope for a future without fear of Covid-19 comes down to circulating antibodies and memory B cells. Unlike circulating antibodies, which peak soon after vaccination or infection only to fade a few months later, memory B cells can stick around to prevent severe disease for decades. And they evolve over time, learning to produce successively more potent “memory antibodies” that are better at…

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      News • Immunological memory

      How our lungs 'remember' a Covid-19 infection

      After infection with SARS-CoV-2, where does the immune system store the memory to provide long-term protection against reinfection? Though numerous studies have examined blood to track immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, a new study of Covid survivors shows that the memory of the infection is primarily stored in T and B cells within the lung and the lymph nodes surrounding the lung.

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      News • Tumor growth stopped in mice

      Antidepressants show promise in cancer growth inhibition

      Classic antidepressants could help improve modern cancer treatments. They slowed the growth of pancreatic and colon cancers in mice, and when combined with immunotherapy, they even stopped the cancer growth long-term. In some cases the tumors disappeared completely, researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) and University Hospital Zurich (USZ) have found. Their findings will now be tested in…

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      News • Patient response testing

      New method predicts which cancer therapies work (and which don't)

      A new technology that can study which therapies will work on patients with solid cancerous tumours has been developed by scientists at University College London (UCL). Researchers say the tool, which can rapidly test tumorous tissue against different treatments, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiotherapy, could be used by clinicians to pinpoint the best therapy for a particular patient.

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      News • Respiratory research

      Covid-19 infection does not affect lung function in kids, young adults

      Covid-19 infection does not appear to affect the lung function of young adults, according to new research presented at the ‘virtual’ European Respiratory Society International Congress. In the first study to investigate the impact of Covid-19 infection on lung function, researchers led by Dr Ida Mogensen, a post-doctoral fellow at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, found that even…

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      Video • Coronavirus medication research

      Lab-grown beating heart cells could identify Covid drugs

      Scientists have grown beating heart cells to attempt to identify drugs to prevent Covid-19-related heart damage. Concerns over the extent of cardiac damage among Covid patients emerged during the coronavirus pandemic and there are also suggestions that the impact on cardiomyocytes could contribute to the symptoms of long Covid. To explore these issues, a research team at the University of…

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      Article • Precision oncology

      Personalized health and genomics: Minimizing collateral damage

      A solid diagnosis has always been the first step on any patient’s journey to health. However, diagnostic categories are necessarily oversimplifications. In the last decades, medical professionals and scientists have begun to uncover the true variability in patients’ physiological and biochemical make-up that is the principal cause for individual variations in the way diseases present…

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      News • Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia

      Rare blood clotting in brain after Covid-19 vaccination: study gives new insights

      A new study of patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) following Covid-19 vaccination provides a clearer guide for clinicians trying to diagnose and treat patients. The research, led by University College London (UCL) and UCL Health and published in The Lancet, is the most detailed account of the characteristics of CVT, when it is caused by the novel condition vaccine-induced immune…

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      News • Coronavirus protein and antibody detection

      Bioluminescence lights up traces of Covid-19 in the blood

      Home test kits to check for Covid-19 spike proteins and anti-Covid-19 antibodies are fast and simple to use but lack the sensitivity and accuracy of laboratory tests. Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology with Utrecht University have developed a new type of sensor that combines the sensitivity and accuracy of current laboratory-based measurements with the speed and low-cost of…

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      News • Immune response determined

      How Covid-19 vaccines prepare our immune system for the virus

      In view of the continuing high numbers of infections, vaccination offers important protection against severe Covid-19 disease. Scientists from the Faculty of Medicine – University of Freiburg have now been able to determine in detail at what time point initial immune protection is established after vaccination with an mRNA-based vaccine and how the reactions of the various components of the…

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      News • Search for signatures

      ‘Long Covid’ biomarkers in blood could lead to diagnostic test

      Markers in our blood – ‘fingerprints’ of infection – could help identify individuals who have been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, several months after infection even if the individual had only mild symptoms or showed no symptoms at all, say Cambridge researchers. The team has received funding from the National Institute for Health Research to develop a test…

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      News • Covid-19 detection

      New blood test measures immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants

      The Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and EPFL teamed up to develop a new test that’s sensitive enough to measure the amount of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies present in the bloodstream. The scientists’ discovery, published in Science Translational Medicine, opens promising new avenues for tracking immunity acquired by infection or vaccination.

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      News • Mechanical inactivation

      'Nano traps' to lock up and neutralize viruses

      To date, there are no effective antidotes against most virus infections. An interdisciplinary research team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now developed a new approach: they engulf and neutralize viruses with nano-capsules tailored from genetic material using the DNA origami method. The strategy has already been tested against hepatitis and adeno-associated viruses in cell…

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      News • Early detection of coronavirus presence

      Covid-19 wastewater testing: new quantification kit launched

      Life science research and clinical diagnostics company Bio-Rad Laboratories announced the launch of its PREvalence ddPCR SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Quantification Kit, a tool to detect the virus that causes Covid-19 in a community’s wastewater. "With wastewater testing becoming more widely adopted, this assay provides the ability for a community to determine if the virus is present days to…

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      Article • Antibiotic resistance

      Five-minute MRSA detection with aptasensor swabs

      An international research team from Saudi Arabia, Germany, and Jordan has developed a novel pathogen aptasensor swab designed to qualitatively detect, within five minutes, any methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) contamination that remains in a hospital isolation room or other surface following standard decontamination and cleaning.

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      News • Long Covid research

      Covid-19 symptoms persist in half of young adults 6 months after

      A new paper on long-Covid describes persistent symptoms six months after acute Covid-19, even in young home isolated people. The study from the Bergen Covid-19 Research Group, which was published in the journal Nature Medicine, followed infected patients during the first pandemic wave in Bergen. "The main novel finding is that more than fifty per cent of young adults up to 30 years old,…

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      News • Corona and EBV

      Long Covid symptoms likely caused by Epstein-Barr virus reactivation

      Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation resulting from the inflammatory response to coronavirus infection may be the cause of previously unexplained long Covid symptoms—such as fatigue, brain fog, and rashes—that occur in approximately 30% of patients after recovery from initial Covid-19 infection. The first evidence linking EBV reactivation to long Covid, as well as an analysis of long Covid…

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      News • Good news

      Mild COVID-19 induces lasting antibody protection

      Months after recovering from mild cases of COVID-19, people still have immune cells in their body pumping out antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Such cells could persist for a lifetime, churning out antibodies all the while.

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      News • Corona in healthcare workers

      Covid-19 and hospital staff: many infections, but few re-infections

      A study of healthcare workers shows they were three times more likely to become infected during the Covid-19 pandemic compared to the general population. Around one in five of workers who were infected were asymptomatic and unaware they had Covid-19. The study published in ERJ Open Research also shows that it was not only frontline staff who faced the higher risk, suggesting that there was…

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      News • Coronavirus disease biomarkers

      New Covid-19 testing method gives results within one second

      The Covid-19 pandemic made it clear technological innovations were urgently needed to detect, treat, and prevent the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A year and a half into this epidemic, waves of successive outbreaks and the dire need for new medical solutions — especially testing — continue to exist. In the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, researchers from the University of Florida and…

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      News • Coronavirus research

      'Covid-19 atlas' uncovers differing immune responses in asymptomatic versus severe cases

      The largest study of its kind in the UK has identified differences in the immune response to Covid-19 between people with no symptoms, compared to those suffering a more serious reaction to the virus. The research by Newcastle University and collaborators within the Human Cell Atlas initiative found raised levels of specific immune cells in asymptomatic people. They also showed people with more…

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      News • After vaccination

      Covid-19: Clinicians uncover rare blood clotting syndrome

      A team led by a clinical academic at University College London (UCL) has outlined the mechanism behind rare cases of blood clots and low platelets seen in patients who have had the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. The new study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, highlights the importance of rapidly spotting this new syndrome, known as vaccine-induced thrombosis and thrombocytopenia…

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      News • Spread of drug-resistance

      WHO reports global shortage of innovative antibiotics

      The world is still failing to develop desperately needed antibacterial treatments, despite growing awareness of the urgent threat of antibiotic resistance, according to a new report by the World Health Organization. WHO reveals that none of the 43 antibiotics that are currently in clinical development sufficiently address the problem of drug resistance in the world’s most dangerous bacteria.…

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      News • From foe to friend?

      Some Alzheimer’s plaques may be protective, not destructive

      One of the characteristic hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the buildup of amyloid-beta plaques in the brain. Most therapies designed to treat AD target these plaques, but they’ve largely failed in clinical trials. New research by scientists at the Salk Institute upends conventional views of the origin of one prevalent type of plaque, indicating a reason why treatments have been…

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      News • After overcoming a Corona infection

      Covid-19: Study on long-term antibody protection

      Does overcoming a SARS-CoV-2 infection protect against reinfection? The “Rhineland Study”, a population-based study conducted by DZNE in the Bonn area, is now providing new findings in this regard. Blood samples taken last year indicate that an important component of immunity – the levels of specific neutralizing antibodies against the coronavirus - had dropped in most of the study…

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      News • Here comes the tooth fairy

      New drug shows promise for regenerating lost teeth

      A new study by scientists at Kyoto University and the University of Fukui may offer hope for adults who have lost their teeth. The team reports that an antibody for one gene - uterine sensitization associated gene-1 or USAG-1 - can stimulate tooth growth in mice suffering from tooth agenesis, a congenital condition. The paper was published in Science Advances. Although the normal adult mouth has…

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      News • Nanotechnology

      New low-cost solution for virus-scale microscopy

      Using an ordinary light microscope, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have devised a technique for imaging biological samples with accuracy at the scale of 10 nanometers — which should enable them to image viruses and potentially even single biomolecules, the researchers say. The new technique builds on expansion microscopy, an approach that involves embedding…

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      News • Immune response in pregnant and lactating women

      Mothers pass on Covid-19 protection to their babies after vaccination

      In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard have found the new mRNA Covid-19 vaccines to be highly effective in producing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in pregnant and lactating women. They also demonstrated the vaccines confer protective immunity to newborns…

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      News • Gesundheit!

      Why stress relief is also allergy relief

      Increased allergic reactions may be tied to the corticotropin-releasing stress hormone (CRH), suggests a new study. These findings may help clarify the mechanism by which CRH induces proliferation of mast cells (MC) – agents involved in the development of allergies in the human nasal cavity.

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      News • A much-needed update

      New 'double antibody' delivers dual strike SARS-CoV-2 and its variants

      The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) in Switzerland developed a second-generation ‘double antibody’ that protects from SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19, and all its tested variants. It also prevents the virus from mutating to resist the therapy. Antibody-based immunotherapy was already shown to be effective against Covid-19 but faces two main obstacles: it needs to work…

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      News • SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies

      Covid-19 immunity may last from days to decades

      Scientists from Singapore found that antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 wane at different rates, lasting for mere days in some individuals, while remaining present in others for decades. The study, published in The Lancet Microbe, shows that the severity of the infection could be a deciding factor in having longer-lasting antibodies. Individuals with low levels of neutralising antibodies may still be…

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      News • BMMF research

      Novel pathogens: a driver for colorectal cancer?

      Do BMMFs, the novel infectious agents found in dairy products and bovine sera, play a role in the development of colorectal cancer? Scientists led by Harald zur Hausen detected the pathogens in colorectal cancer patients in close proximity to tumors. The researchers show that the BMMFs trigger local chronic inflammation, which can cause mutations via activated oxygen molecules and thus promote…

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      News • Lessons learned from Covid-19

      A 'blueprint' for preventing the next pandemic

      Scientific and public health experts have been raising the alarm for decades, imploring public officials to prepare for the inevitability of a viral pandemic. Infectious epidemics seemingly as benign as "the flu" and as deadly as the Ebola virus provided ample warning, yet government officials seemed caught off guard and ill prepared for dealing with Covid-19.

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      News • New microscopy approach

      A smartphone-based test for Covid-19

      Researchers at the University of Arizona are developing a Covid-19 testing method that uses a smartphone microscope to analyze saliva samples and deliver results in about 10 minutes. The research team, led by biomedical engineering professor Jeong-Yeol Yoon, aims to combine the speed of existing nasal swab antigen tests with the high accuracy of nasal swab PCR, or polymerase chain reaction,…

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      News • Insulin inhibitory receptor

      New promising target for diabetes treatment

      Researchers from Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, the Technical University of Munich and the German Center for Diabetes have discovered a novel and druggable insulin inhibitory receptor, named inceptor. The blocking of inceptor function leads to an increased sensitisation of the insulin signaling pathway in pancreatic beta cells. This might allow protection and regeneration of beta cells for diabetes…

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      News • Frequently Asked Questions

      What patients want to know about Covid-19 vaccine

      This FAQ from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology is provided to help answer patient questions about COVID-19 vaccines. These recommendations are based on best knowledge to date, but could change at any time, pending new information and further guidance from the FDA or CDC.

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      News • Surgical endoscopy

      Olympus to acquire Quest Photonic Devices

      Olympus Corporation announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Quest Photonic Devices B.V. for up to EUR50 million including milestone payments to strengthen its surgical endoscopy capabilities. Quest offers advanced fluorescence imaging systems (FIS) for the medical field, enabling more surgical endoscopy capabilities, compared to conventional imaging technologies.

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      News • Microneedles

      No more needles for bloodtests?

      Blood draws are no fun. They hurt. Veins can burst, or even roll — like they’re trying to avoid the needle, too. Oftentimes, doctors use blood samples to check for biomarkers of disease: antibodies that signal a viral or bacterial infection, such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, or cytokines indicative of inflammation seen in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and…

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      News • Coronavirus infection response

      SARS-CoV-2 IgG II antibody test launched in CE Mark countries

      Clinical diagnostics company Beckman Coulter launched its Access SARS-CoV-2 IgG II assay in countries accepting the CE Mark. The new Access SARS-CoV-2 IgG II assay quantitatively measures a patient’s level of antibodies in response to a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. The ability to establish a quantitative baseline to evaluate an individual’s immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus allows…

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      News • Measuring mitochondrial DNA

      Rapid blood test identifies Covid-19 patients at high risk of severe disease

      One of the most vexing aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic is doctors’ inability to predict which newly hospitalized patients will go on to develop severe disease, including complications that require the insertion of a breathing tube, kidney dialysis or other intensive care. Knowledge of a patient’s age and underlying medical conditions can help predict such outcomes, but there are still…

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      News • "Faces" of the disease

      Covid-19: researchers identify at least 5 variants

      According to current studies, the Covid-19 disease which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus comprises at least five different variants. These differ in how the immune system responds to the infection. Researchers from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the University of Bonn, together with other experts from Germany, Greece and the Netherlands, present these findings…

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      Article • Applications of machine learning

      Training AI to predict outcomes for cancer patients

      Predicting cancer outcome could help with a clinical decision regarding a patient’s treatment. In his keynote speech during the online ‘7th Digital Pathology and AI Congress: Europe’, Johan Lundin, Research Director at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) at the University of Helsinki and Professor of Medical Technology at Karolinska Institute, discussed ‘Outcome and…

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      Article • Digital pathology

      An exciting new era for tissue microarrays

      A new generation of tissue microarrays are delivering more efficient and time-effective solutions to answering complex clinical and scientific questions. Sitting at the core of this new approach is digital pathology, allowing specific and targeted analysis of small areas of tissue.

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      News • 'Nanobodies'

      Small antibodies show promise against Covid-19

      Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed, in collaboration with researchers in Germany and the U.S., new small antibodies, also known as nanobodies, which prevent the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus from entering human cells. The research study, published in Science, shows that a combined nanobody had a particularly good effect – even if the virus mutated. According to the researchers, the…

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      News • Virion recreated

      First computational model of entire SARS-CoV-2 virus

      Researchers at the University of Chicago have created the first usable computational model of the entire virus responsible for Covid-19—and they are making this model widely available to help advance research during the pandemic. “If you can understand how a virus works, that’s the first step towards stopping it,” said Prof. Gregory Voth, whose team created the model published in…

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      News • Messenger RNA vaccines explained

      Busting 8 common myths about Covid-19 vaccines

      Even those who understand the scientific process, trust medical experts and know how important vaccines are for fighting infectious diseases might still have some questions or concerns about the new Covid-19 vaccines. Here, Thaddeus Stappenbeck, MD, PhD, helps set the record straight on 8 common questions, concerns and myths that have emerged about Covid-19 vaccines.

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      News • Promising candidate

      Single-dose nanoparticle vaccine for Covid-19 in development

      Before the pandemic, the lab of Stanford University biochemist Peter S. Kim focused on developing vaccines for HIV, Ebola and pandemic influenza. But, within days of closing their campus lab space as part of Covid-19 precautions, they turned their attention to a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Although the coronavirus was outside the lab’s specific area of expertise,…

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      News • Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay

      Startup develops breakthrough IgG antibody test for Covid-19

      ZTA Biotech, a Budapest-based biotech startup, has developed a Covid-19 antibody (IgG) test using the ELISA protocol. This new detection method represents a great step forward in determining if patients have had a coronavirus infection and if they might still have immunity to the disease. Early results have proven 100% in specificity after testing 280 samples, and 100% sensitivity by testing 260…

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      News • Cancer research

      Exploring the benefits of anticoagulants against brain metastases

      Brain metastases can only develop if cancer cells first exit the fine blood vessels and enter into the brain tissue. To facilitate this step, cancer cells influence blood clotting, as scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and Heidelberg University Hospital have now been able to show in mice. The cancer cells actively promote the formation of clots, which helps them to arrest in the…

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      Video • Enhanced therapeutic delivery

      Focused ultrasound shows promise for Alzheimer's treatment support

      A recent preclinical study from scientists at Sunnybrook Research Institute, Canadian Blood Services and the University of Toronto has demonstrated that focused ultrasound improves the delivery of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), a blood product composed of antibodies from healthy donors, previously shown to have potential in treating a subgroup of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

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      Article • Diagnosing SARS-CoV-2

      The arsenal: Molecular (PCR), antigen and antibody testing

      Germany’s lack of diagnostic ability led to significantly underestimation of its own as well as global Covid-19 infection levels during the first wave. Now, however, improved testing and diagnosis of the condition more realistically reveal nearer 20,000 new cases a day across the country, according to Professor Hendrik Streeck, one of the country’s leading virologists. Speaking at a virtual…

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      Article • High-sensitivity troponin I assay

      Speeding up diagnosis of myocardial infarction

      The new generation troponin I assay unveiled by Beckman Coulter is helping improve heart attack diagnosis. Delivering high sensitivity, and rapid result turnaround times, every element of the Access hsTnI assay has been redeveloped and updated, including the antibodies and the paramagnetic particles used. As specialists in developing and manufacturing products that simplify and automate complex…

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      News • Intratumoral B cells

      Another side to cancer immunotherapy?

      Scientists report on their detailed look at B cells' presence inside tumors. B cells represent the other major arm of the adaptive immune system, besides T cells, and could offer opportunities for new treatments against some kinds of cancers.

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      News • For at least six months

      Prior COVID-19 infection offers protection from re-infection

      A new study suggests that individuals who have previously had COVID-19 are highly unlikely to contract the illness again, for at least six months following their first infection. The study, done as part of a major collaboration between the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust, was published as a pre-print.

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      News • Coronavirus assay receives CE Mark

      Quantitative Covid-19 test to measure neutralizing antibodies

      Siemens Healthineers announced its SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibody Test (sCOVG) has proven to measure neutralizing antibodies and has achieved CE Mark. The test is an enhanced version of the assay which became available globally this summer. It demonstrates the ability to detect neutralizing antibodies and reports quantitative results measuring the amount of neutralizing antibodies present in a patient's…

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      Article • MEDICA session

      PCR tests excel during Covid-19 pandemic

      In early 1990, at Analytica, in Munich, a young US-American researcher Kary B Mullis received the award for biochemical analytics for his 1983 invention: the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) – a success topped in 1993 by the Nobel Prize for chemistry. Mullis’ work revolutionised DNA copying, a process which, before PCR, had taken weeks. Whilst initially PCR was used to create digital…

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      News • In countries accepting CE Mark

      Beckman Coulter launches SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibody test

      Beckman Coulter announced the launch of its Access SARS-CoV-2 Immunoglobulin M (IgM) assay in countries accepting the CE Mark. The new IgM antibody test demonstrated 99.9% specificity with 1,400 negative samples and 100% sensitivity at >18 days post symptom onset and post positive PCR. Beckman Coulter’s IgM assay is part of a full suite of testing solutions the company is developing to…

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      News • False positive results

      Accuracy of rapid covid test may be lower than previously suggested

      The accuracy of a rapid finger-prick antibody test for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for covid-19 infection, may be considerably lower than previously suggested, finds a study published by The BMJ. The results suggest that if 10% of people given the test had previously been infected, around 1 in 5 positive test results would be incorrect (false positive results). These conclusions contrast…

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      News • Biomaterial research

      Wound-healing hydrogel to improve skin tissue repair

      Researchers at Duke University and the University of California, Los Angeles, have developed a biomaterial that significantly reduces scar formation after wounding, leading to more effective skin healing. This new material, which quickly degrades once the wound has closed, demonstrates that activating an adaptive immune response can trigger regenerative wound healing, leaving behind stronger and…

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      Interview • Quality aspects

      Lab automation – economic aspects and Covid-19

      The academic teaching Karlsruhe Hospital, at the University of Freiburg, is the largest hospital providing tertiary care in the Middle Upper Rhine Valley. Every year, 63,000 in-patients and 180,000 out-patients are treated in the 1,500-bed facility with 50 departments and 30 out-patient clinics. Inevitably, a hospital of this size has a central lab. We spoke with Dr Horst Mayer, managing senior…

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      News • Preclinical data

      COVID-19 vaccine candidate designed via computer

      An innovative nanoparticle vaccine candidate for the pandemic coronavirus produces virus-neutralizing antibodies in mice at levels ten-times greater than is seen in people who have recovered from COVID-19 infections. Designed by scientists at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, the vaccine candidate has been transferred to two companies for clinical development.

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      News • Using virus particles in exhaled breath

      New SARS-CoV-2 test to deliver results in under 5 minutes

      Research and innovation hub Imec announced that it has started developing a groundbreaking SARS-CoV-2 test. Unlike current approaches (using blood, saliva, or a nasopharyngeal swab), the new test will identify SARS-CoV-2 virus particles in a person’s exhaled breath. The solution promises the accurate identification of a contagious case in less than five minutes.

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      News • One mouse at a time

      New approach to testing potential drugs for children’s cancers

      A team of researchers in the US and Australia have developed a way of testing potential drugs for children’s cancers so as to take account of the wide genetic diversity of these diseases. In new research to be presented at the 32th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, Professor Peter Houghton, director of the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute (San…

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