Due to the scientific and technical developments in recombinant DNA technology and protein engineering since the early 1980s, therapeutic proteins have emerged as one of the most important classes of new pharmaceuticals. Currently, more than 200 protein and peptide based drugs have gained approval by the USA’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and many more are under preclinical or clinical…
Cells are the basic building blocks of life – and, as such, they have been the object of intense study since the invention of the optical microscope in the 17th century. The development of mass spectrometry (MS) methods – those which define the chemical composition of cells – represented a further milestone for research in the field of cell biology. In the latest issue of the journal Nature…
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is showcasing its latest instruments, assays and software for improving speed, accuracy and usability across clinical and research labs during the 71st American Association for Clinical Chemistry Annual Scientific Meeting and Clinical Laboratory Exposition (AACC 2019). Thermo Fisher is exhibiting in booth 2110 at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, Calif., August…
Acoustic Mist Ionization Mass Spectrometry (AMI-MS) has played a pivotal role in the evolution of high-throughput screening (HTS) and now steps are being taken to advance this field to other potential applications. AstraZeneca has been an important player in this area, having already run more than 10 full collection HTS campaigns against a range of enzyme target types, and the company is now…
Many countries across the world are challenged with a rising number of incidences of multi-drug resistant (MDR) organisms infecting the population, and for several years, a clear pattern of increased resistance has emerged in southern and eastern European countries. For example, in countries such as Italy, a reduced number of therapeutic options remain available for highly pathogenic infections,…
Fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapies are widely used, at least in the European area, for treating various types of cancer including digestive, breast, throat and brain cancer. Fluoropyrimidines are a group of anticancer drugs including the well-known 5-FluoroUracil (5-FU) and the prodrug capecitabine.
In the modern diagnostic lab, analytical challenges demand increased sensitivity, speed, robustness and reliability of any diagnostic system, and mass spectrometry is no different. Designed and manufactured with industry-leading technologies, Citrine meets these challenges head on, giving you confidence in your results and the best possible service to your patients. Citrine MS/MS from SCIEX…
As mass spectrometry proves to be a more consistent and accurate tool in biochemical measures, with acknowledged advantages over immunoassays, its role in diagnostics has escalated. Headed by Professor Ruth Andrew, the pioneering Mass Spectrometry Core Facility at the University of Edinburgh, aims to offer researchers access to expert scientists and specialist resources to support clinical…
Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is an established powerful tool in routine clinical use and clinical research. However, to further capitalise on its benefits, instrument and consumables vendors should continue to improve accessibility and ease-of-use, according to Dr Debadeep Bhattacharyya, senior marketing manager for clinical and forensic at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Remarkable…
As a synthetic opioid approved for treating severe pain, fentanyl has shown clear medical benefits. However, in recent years, continuous abuse of fentanyl and its derived analogues substances has become a major public health issue – overdoses and deaths associated with illicitly-manufactured fentanyl rose dramatically.
In the past, we repeatedly focused our attention on developments in the clinical application of mass spectrometry-based methods in patient care. Various aspects became significant. Today, the use of Liquid Chromatography Triple Quad Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) can be considered today’s standard, although classically applied immunoassays continue to be…
As Shimadzu celebrates its 50th anniversary in Europe, we spoke with Stéphane Moreau, Manager of LC-MS & Life Sciences at the Marketing Europe/Analytical Business Unit of Shimadzu Europa GmbH, about today’s and many more decades of exciting clinical developments.
In recent years, clinicians have increasingly focused on vitamin D deficiency. Studies show that previous reference values – particularly for Vitamin D3 – were most probably set too high. Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) can help achieve more precise measurements of vitamin D levels than previously established immunoassay procedures, explains Dr Torsten Binscheck-Domass,…
A range of new biomarkers and diagnostics for precision cardiovascular medicine were outlined in a session at the British Cardiovascular Society annual conference held recently in Manchester. Speakers from King’s British Heart Foundation Centre looked at how mass spectrometry allows clinicians to measure large numbers of proteins simultaneously, discussed a new biomarker for cardiac ischaemia…
Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) has become a highly valued procedure in state-of-the-art laboratories – among them the Dr. Wisplinghoff Laboratory in Cologne, which adopted the method a decade ago. In its forty years, the organisation has provided physicians with the entire clinically relevant analysis spectrum of laboratory medicine, pathology, transfusion medicine as well as…
LC/MS, i.e. the combination of liquid chromatography (LC) with mass spectrometry (MS) – an analytical method developed primarily for environmental analysis and live science – remains a keen topic in the medical laboratory. In recent European Hospital issues, we have outlined various reasons why this procedure is in increasingly popular in the medical lab. Here we continue with an interview…
SCIEX announced a new release of its LC and mass spectrometry operating system, SCIEX OS software, which provides new tools for full regulatory compliance and updated calculation algorithms that support data processing for the majority of SCIEX instruments.
European Hospital has recently focused on the development of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for use in analytical/medical diagnostics. Dr Stavros Kromidas, an expert in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and author of several specialist books, has published his latest book ‘The HPLC-MS Handbook for Practitioners’. We interviewed him about this and a new technique…
Mass spectrometry is moving laboratory medicine to increasingly automated discrete analysis methods, resulting in ever faster and more reliable results. It is also leveraging economies of scale as an increasingly cost-effective tool, says Craig Webster, Consultant Clinical Scientist and Clinical Lead, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham. Speaking about…
Over the last four years, Dr Thomas Stimpfl and his team have integrated mass spectrometry into routine analysis. The analytical technique liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) combines the physical separation capabilities of liquid chromatography (or HPLC) with the mass analytical capabilities of mass spectrometry (MS). LC- and MS procedures were not originally developed for…
Up to the early 16th century, essentially medical diagnostics was limited to uroscopy – the observation of a urine sample in a uroscopy flask with a candle providing light. One hundred years later, the first microscopes were developed and from then on the development of technical devices and instruments boomed. Combining chromatography instruments and mass spectrometers began with the sole…
Every day you’re challenged to deliver faster, reliable results to inform clinicians. Now the power of LC-MS/MS technology is available with the Topaz™ System from SCIEX, developed with the demanding clinical lab in mind. It is the first FDA-reviewed integrated LC-MS/MS IVD system, that is open by design and closed when you need it.
SCIEX Diagnostics, the in vitro diagnostics division of SCIEX, a global leader in mass spectrometry in the life sciences industry, announced the launch of the Citrine Triple Quad MS/MS and Citrine QTRAP MS/MS systems for clinical diagnostics. The Citrine system is designed specifically to meet the unique needs of clinical labs that require maximum sensitivity, the highest throughput, a wide…
Up to the early 16th century, essentially medical diagnostics was limited to uroscopy – the observation of a urine sample in a uroscopy flask with a candle providing light. In a visual examination the doctor would determine the colour of the urine as well as cloudiness and precipitates, followed by a smell and taste test. The information he gathered provided the basis of his diagnosis. 100…
A team of scientists and engineers at The University of Texas at Austin has invented a powerful tool that rapidly and accurately identifies cancerous tissue during surgery, delivering results in about 10 seconds—more than 150 times as fast as existing technology.