Article • Cancer Diagnostics
Liquid biopsies challenge imaging
Novel blood or urine tests can now detect a tumour and but might in future be able to say what type of cancer is developing in which organ.
Article • Prostate Cancer
Proteomic mass spectrometry
Scientists at a UK university are using the power of mass spectrometry to research critical processes in human prostate cancer.
Article • Genetics
Ascertaining the value of microRNA
European Hospital reports a new approach in molecular diagnostics introduced during the IASLC World Conference in Vienna.
Article • Mass Spectrometry
Circulating biomarkers – the great white hope of liquid biopsy
About six years ago, liquid biopsy appeared on the diagnostic lab stage. Last December, a seminar offered by Agena Bioscience in Frankfurt, Germany, was set to explore the enormous potential of this new technique for oncology.
Article • Worldwide Lab
Facing up to many new challenges
Medical laboratories must be pro-active if they are to meet the new challenges being presented to the sector globally, according to Dr William Morice from the renowned Mayo Clinic in America.
Article • No standardisation
Lab medicine in Norway, Serbia and France
Laboratory medicine delivery, regulation and accreditation vary between countries, e.g. Norway, Serbia and France recently aired at FiLM 2017. Leading figures explained the shape, scope and funding of healthcare and lab services and roles played by different professionals and challenges they face.
Article • Virtual Brain
Computer model simulates epileptic events
Approximately one percent of the world population are epileptic; in France alone, an estimated 600,000 people regularly experience seizures.
News • Transplant Rejection
Blood-based “transplant exosome” strategy may be useful for all types of transplant
Approximately 30,000 organ transplants occur in the United States each year. However, between 20 and 50 percent—depending on the organ type—of the transplanted organs fail within five years, most often because the recipient’s immune system attacks, or “rejects,” the donated organ.
News • Heart Attacks
Potential Breakthrough in Determining Who’s at Risk
Researchers are revisiting their views on the relative dangers soft and hard atherosclerotic plaque deposits pose to heart health. Findings of a new study by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute may be a “game-changer” for determining who’s at risk of a heart attack, they say.
News • DNA
DNA labels predict mortality
Methyl labels in the DNA regulate the activity of our genes and, thus, have a great influence on health and disease. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and from the Saarland cancer registry have now revealed that an altered methylation status at only ten specific sites in the genome can indicate that mortality is increased by up to seven times. Smoking has a particularly…
News • Autism
Big Data techniques find biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
An algorithm based on levels of metabolites found in a blood sample can accurately predict whether a child is on the Autism spectrum of disorder (ASD), based upon a recent study. The algorithm, developed by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is the first physiological test for autism and opens the door to earlier diagnosis and potential future development of therapeutics.
News • Blueberries
Can blueberry concentrate improve brain function in older patients?
A new study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism found that consuming blueberry concentrate over a 12-week period might help improve brain function in healthy older adults.
Article • Deep Learning
Philips and LabPON plan to create world’s largest pathology database
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) and LabPON, the first clinical laboratory to transition to 100% histopathology digital diagnosis, today announced its plans to create a digital database of massive aggregated sets of annotated pathology images and big data utilizing Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution1. The database will provide pathologists with a wealth of clinical information for the…
Article • Spanish expert separates fables from facts
Seasonal over-indulgence
In the early months of a New Year many of us are tightening our belts after Christmas gastronomic indulgences. However, the belt may not be as long as it used to be and the gym treadmill may be the only answer.
Article • Emergency Imaging
Forensics identify victims and terrorists
‘I am sorry, the electricity will be cut off because we’re going to simulate an attack, or emergency exercise, this morning,’ explained Dr Wim Develter, when he suddenly delayed his interview with Mélisande Rouger of European Hospital. They were about to discuss computed tomography, and its role not only in advanced healthcare and other more unexpected areas, such as the arts and…
News • Lab Study
A protein called PERK - Treating progressive supranuclear palsy
The brain disease “progressive supranuclear palsy” (PSP) is currently incurable and its symptoms can only be eased to a very limited degree. PSP impairs eye movements, locomotion, balance control, and speech. Scientists at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now discovered a molecular mechanism that may help in the search…
Interview • Lifestyle tests
The dangers of commercial direct-to-consumer tests
Lifestyle tests that pretend to be medical procedures are inherently problematic in terms of clinical, medical and privacy issues.
News • Nuts
Hard shell – healthy kernel
Colon cancer: nutritionists at University of Jena clarify protective effect of nuts.
News • Infections
Philips and Diagnostics Development win European Union ‘Horizon Prize – Better Use of Antibiotics’
Philips and Diagnostics Development, a P&M Venge company, evaluate the novel human neutrophil lipocalin (HNL) biomarker for the rapid detection of bacterial infection. Based on Philips’ Minicare I-20 handheld diagnostics platform, the Minicare HNL assay is recognized for its potential to provide physicians with 10-minute confirmation of bacterial infection, helping to ensure that…
News • Infections
Viruses Overheard Talking to One Another
Viruses may be stealthy invaders, but a study at the Weizmann Institute of Science reveals a new, chatty side of some: for the first time, viruses have been found communicating with one another. This communication – short “posts” left for kin and descendants – helps the viruses reading them to decide how to proceed with the process of infection. The research was reported in Nature.
News • Infections
World still “grossly underprepared” for infectious disease outbreaks
The world remains “grossly underprepared” for outbreaks of infectious disease, which are likely to become more frequent in the coming decades, warn a team of international experts in The BMJ today.
Article • Infections
Seeking the role of messenger substances in infections
Using computer-based simulations and mouse experiments, researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and at the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (OVGU), have disentangled the effects of pro-inflammatory signalling molecules on the postinfluenza susceptibility to pneumococcal coinfection.
Sponsored • POCT Interfaces
EKF - Connectivity now available on HbA1c Analyzers
EKF Diagnostics are previewing the new connectivity solution for their range of point-of-care HbA1c analyzers at Arab Health 2017 on stand number Z1.H30.
News • Infections
UV Light Can Aid Hospitals’ Fight to Wipe Out Drug-Resistant Superbugs
Adding UV light to standard cleaning cut transmission of 4 resistant bacteria by 30 percent
News • Healthy Eating
Study Finds Association Between Eating Hot Peppers and Decreased Mortality
Like spicy food? If so, you might live longer, say researchers at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, who found that consumption of hot red chili peppers is associated with a 13 percent reduction in total mortality – primarily in deaths due to heart disease or stroke – in a large prospective study. The study was published recently in PLoS ONE.