News • CRISPR
Could gold be the key to making gene therapy for HIV?
A proof-of-principle study shows that gold nanoparticles loaded with CRISPR and other gene-editing tools safely and effectively edited blood stem cells.
Blood
Sponsored • Hematology
Early sepsis indicator helps identifying patients at risk
The critical element of testing for sepsis lies not so much in the location but in the timing and rapidity of results, according to Professor Jeannine T. Holden from Beckman Coulter Early identification enables treatment protocols to be delivered more quickly, offering better patient outcomes. Those most at risk, suggests Holden, are not patients within the intensive care unit – who are already…
News • Targeted treatment
Cancer: Blood sample to help select the right early phase clinical trials
Scientists could help match cancer patients with no other treatment options to clinical trials with experimental medicines, by analysing the genetic faults in a sample of their blood. The researchers, funded by Cancer Research UK, The Christie Charity, AstraZeneca and the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), demonstrated in their feasibility study that a blood test can be carried out…
News • Two years earlier
Breast cancer: blood test could detecting relapse earlier
Research has revealed that a new blood test is able to detect disease relapse up to two years earlier than imaging in patients with early-stage breast cancer. The research, carried out by the University of Leicester and Imperial College London and funded by Cancer Research UK, showed that the blood test was able to detect 89 per cent of all relapses, on average 8.9 months quicker than imaging.
Article • Blood transfusions
Donor organs become immunologically invisible
The safety of blood transfusions is questioned again and again by the mass media. Sometimes ‘bad’ blood causes infections; sometimes a transfusion leads to cancer years later. The fact is that transfer blood is subjected to the highest safety standards – there are very clear statutory regulations. Nonetheless, there will be shortages of ‘life’s fluid’ because, given increasing…
News • Thrombocytes
Blocking platelets could prevent fatty liver disease and liver cancer
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is among the most common chronic hepatic disorders in Western industrial countries and the rate is also rapidly rising in newly industrialized countries. Experts estimate that about 30 to 40 percent of the population worldwide develop this liver condition. In the United States, this disease is well on the way to becoming the most frequent indication for liver…
News • Infectious disease
Sensor technology could detect Dengue fever earlier
Researchers from the University of Bath are developing a new tool for detecting the presence of Dengue fever early on, helping prevent people from suffering potential life-threatening complications.
News • Experts warn
Blood test to diagnose heart attacks is flawed
The blood test used to diagnose a heart attack (acute myocardial infarction) in patients admitted to hospital can be misleading, warn researchers in a study published by The BMJ.
News • Blood cell disorder
Promising results for new acute porphyria treatment
Acute porphyria is a group of uncommon diseases that can cause severe, potentially life-threatening attacks of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and paralysis. Liver transplantation is currently the only effective treatment available for the most seriously afflicted patients. A clinical trial conducted in collaboration with researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now shows that a new drug…
News • Keeping a clear head
Alzheimer's: key to early prediction in the blood
Alzheimer's disease is often marked by a creeping progression: Years before symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease manifest, the brain starts changing and neurons are slowly degraded. Scientists at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH) and the University Hospital Tübingen now show that a protein found in the blood can be used…
News • Blockage detection
This blood flow sensor wraps around the blood vessel
A new device developed by Stanford University researchers could make it easier for doctors to monitor the success of blood vessel surgery. The sensor, detailed in a paper published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, monitors the flow of blood through an artery. It is biodegradable, battery-free and wireless, so it is compact and doesn’t need to be removed and it can warn a patient’s doctor if…
News • Blood thinners
Experts' plea for anticoagulant dosage guidelines
Rutgers researchers have found a way to reduce bleeding in patients following bariatric surgery. The study, which appeared in the journal Surgery for Obesity and Related Disorders, was conducted by Luigi Brunetti and Leonid Kagan at the Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy in collaboration with Ragui Sadek at Advanced Surgical and Bariatrics of New Jersey. More than 30 percent of adults in the…
News • On the go
Wearable ultrasound patch penetrates the skin to measure blood pressure
Researchers funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) are literally breaking barriers using ultrasound waves emitted from a flexible patch to accurately measure central blood pressure and help detect cardiovascular problems earlier. For a while now, smart, wearable devices have had the ability to capture how many steps we take in a day or measure our heart…
News • Accessories
New tube holder impresses thanks to its versatility
The new Vacuette branded Safelink tube holder facilitates quick and easy blood collection. The tube can be used in combination with all medical products that have a standard female luer lock connection, such as winged cannulae. Above all, it stands out thanks to its simple handling. The luer lock feature sets the Vacuette Safelink apart from the conventional Greiner Bio-One tube holders and makes…
News • Early diagnosis
New blood test detects early stage ovarian cancer
Research on a bacterial toxin first discovered in Adelaide has led to the development a new blood test for the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer - a disease which kills around 150,000 women globally each year.
News • Blood pressure
How does the baroreceptor reflex work?
The baroreceptor reflex is a fascinating medical phenomenon. The reflex is controlled by specialized neurons that react in just a fraction of a second to keep blood pressure fairly consistent. For example, when you stand up, your blood pressure normally drops—rapidly. Yet you don't faint thanks to baroreceptors, which tell your heart rate to increase and push more blood to your brain. A new…
News • Tick-borne infection
New techniques detects Lyme disease weeks before current tests
Researchers have developed techniques to detect Lyme disease bacteria weeks sooner than current tests, allowing patients to start treatment earlier. The new techniques can detect an active infection with the Lyme bacteria faster than the three weeks it takes for the current indirect antibody-based tests, which have been a standard since 1994. Another advantage of the new tests is that a positive…
Article • Data protection
Ensuring your safe GDPR compliance
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires changes in the healthcare sector. It is Greiner Bio-One’s aim to optimally fulfil these requirements with the help of its GeT system solutions, the company reports. The data protection basic regulation came into force on the 25th May 2018. This regulates the protection of ordinary people with regard to processing personal data. One of the…
News • Oncology
Blood test detects early stage pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is currently very difficult to detect while it is still resectable. A new blood test developed by researchers at Lund University in Sweden, Herlev Hospital, Knight Cancer Center and Immunovia AB, can detect pancreatic cancer in the very earliest stages of the disease.
News • Myelodysplastic syndrome
Genetic testing helps predict disease recurrence
A DNA-based analysis of blood cells soon after a stem cell transplant can predict likelihood of disease recurrence in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a group of cancerous disorders characterized by dysfunctional blood cells. Such a practice could help doctors identify patients at high risk of disease recurrence early after a transplant and help guide treatment decisions.
Sponsored • Fungal testing
One test winning over a run of 10 New β-Glucan test delivers rapid results
Fungal testing plays a critical role in patient care. However, the turnaround for results can be lengthy because the existing tests need 10 samples in a run. Professor Maurizio Sanguinetti, Professor of Microbiology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Università Cattolica del S. Cuore), in Rome, Italy, is comparing the results of a new test with those from existing tests. Created by…
Article • Hematology
Recommendations on venous blood sampling
Pre-analytics, in particular venous blood sampling has a major impact on the quality of laboratory diagnostic results. An estimated 75 percent of all "lab errors" are caused by errors during pre-analytics. Thus, the German Medical Association’s national guideline on laboratory diagnostics includes detailed guidance on pre-analytics, in particular venous blood sampling. In their…
News • Infections
Reliable point-of-care blood test can help prevent toxoplasmosis
A recent study, performed in Chicago and Rabat, Morocco, found that a novel finger-prick test for infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy — and many other potential applications — is 100 percent sensitive and 100 percent specific for detecting the presence of this life-damaging microorganism.
News • Rare cancer
A simple blood tests could improve diagnosis of myeloma
A pioneering study into myeloma, a rare cancer, could lead to General Practicianer (GPs) using simple blood tests to improve early diagnosis. The study investigated the best combination of blood tests that could be used to diagnose myeloma in GP practices.
News • Personalised drug treatment
AI approach to help myeloma patients
A multidisciplinary team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) technology platform that could potentially change the way drug combinations are being designed, hence enabling doctors to determine the most effective drug combination for a patient quickly. Applying the platform towards drug resistant multiple myeloma, a type of…
