News • Market
Diagnostic Assays: Seegene and QIAGEN collaborate
Seegene Inc. today announced that it has entered into a worldwide collaboration agreement with QIAGEN N.V. to develop and supply molecular diagnostic assays.
Molecular
Article • Therapy
Molecular imaging mines deeper
The view across the Atlantic – it fills Professor Fabian Kiessling, Chair of Experimental Molecular Imaging at the RWTH Aachen (Rhine-Westphalia Institute of Technology Aachen), with optimism. The USA offers more opportunities for molecular imaging. Only recently, new tracers for Alzheimer’s were accepted as reimbursable in some centres, whilst the development of new diagnostics in Europe…
News • Oncology
Breast tumor stiffness and metastasis risk linked by molecule’s movement
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center have discovered a molecular mechanism that connects breast tissue stiffness to tumor metastasis and poor prognosis. The study may inspire new approaches to predicting patient outcomes and halting tumor metastasis.
To Stop Cancer: Block its Messages
Weizmann Institute scientists identify a potential drug molecule that stops cancer cells, but not healthy ones, from getting their “mail”.
News • Molecular Genetics
How a Bacterial Cell Recognizes its Own DNA
It may come as a bit of a surprise to learn that bacteria have an immune system – in their case to fight off invasive viruses called phages. And like any immune system – from single-celled to human – the first challenge of the bacterial immune system is to detect the difference between “foreign” and “self.” This is far from simple, as viruses, bacteria and all other living things…
Article • Research
Genetic alterations
This article discusses examples of applications of genetic analyses in coagulation disorders and haematological and oncological diseases. Professor Christine Mannhalter highlights the impact changes have on the occurrence and severity of diseases and their influence on therapy response. Report: Christine Mannhalter
News • Research
Neurons constantly rewrite their DNA
Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered that neurons are risk takers: They use minor ‘DNA surgeries’ to toggle their activity levels all day, every day. Since these activity levels are important in learning, memory and brain disorders, the researchers think their finding will shed light on a range of important questions.
Interview • Sequencing
Precision medicine in oncology
Professor Hedvig Hricak MD PhD, Chair of the Department of Radiology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre, New York, and Professor of Radiology at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, is a notable expert on crosssectional anatomic and molecular imaging, particularly of gynaecologic and prostate cancers. EH interviewed her about the potential and impact of more precise viewing of inter-…
Sponsored • Testing Infections
One step detection of toxigenic C. difficile
A new CE-IVD certified molecular test has been added to Greiner Bio-One’s Genspeed test portfolio for nosocomial infections. In addition to the recently introduced MRSA test, the Genspeed C.diff OneStep test addresses the international need to combat Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections. The test is analysed on the Genspeed R2 Analyser.
Article • Neuro Imaging
Molecular imaging brings seismic change
Molecular profiling is transforming brain cancer management and radiologists must get to grips with the upcoming paradigm that will affect the way they report findings. Renowned neuroradiologist Professor Anne G. Osborn from the University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, unveiled the latest advances in brain pathology during the Nikola Tesla Honorary Lecture last week at ECR…
Article • Screening
Can, should and must MRI replace mammography?
In breast cancer care each patient receives personalised, highly effective diagnosis and treatment procedures. In breast diagnostics this mainly revolves around new MRI scanning procedures that allow the quantification of biological and physiological processes on a cellular and molecular level.
Article • Molecular Imaging
Xe-MRI advances body exploration
Clinical routine would be inconceivable without MR Imaging. Without exposure to radiation, doctors can make a patient’s organs and tissue structures clearly visible. However, pathological changes in the early stages, degenerated cells or small areas of inflammation, have so far remained almost invisible on these images. In 2014, for the first time, a team of cell biologists, chemists and…
Article • Oncology
Molecular genetics and proteomics
Women with metastatic breast cancer know they have a slim chance of long-term survival. The question is whether personalised therapy could extend their lives. Report: Cynthia E Keen
Article • Infectious diseases
New biospleen blood cleansing excites experts
A new extracorporeal nanotech device addresses the root cause of sepsis by removing pathogens and endotoxins simultaneously from blood even before their identification – this genetically engineered mannose-binding lectin protein can also latch on to the Ebola virus... Report: Cynthia E Keen
The future of radiology: Art or science?
Two things that radiologists resist – structured reporting and (computer-assisted) quantification – are the very things that Gabriel Krestin believes are essential to advance diagnosis in the brave new world of omic-medicine that is emerging.
Researchers Find Protein 'Switch' Central to Heart Cell Division
In a study that began in a pair of infant siblings with a rare heart defect, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a key molecular switch that regulates heart cell division and normally turns the process off around the time of birth. Their research, they report, could advance efforts to turn the process back on and regenerate heart tissue damaged by heart attacks or disease.
Validating imaging biomarkers
New imaging biomarkers are helping radiology to play a greater role in new drug developments.
EKF Diagnostics launches new molecular division
EKF Diagnostics, worldwide manufacturer of point-of-care diagnostic tools, organ injury biomarkers and assays, has announced the launch of a new division to focus on molecular and companion diagnostics.
PET/MR: The opportunities are almost unlimited
MRI has become the gold standard for many indications in cardiac imaging, apart from imaging the coronary arteries. For function and morphology assessment, MRI is the leading technology. A further advance into as yet unknown territory is myocardial imaging aided by one of the first integrated 3-Tesla PET/MR systems currently used at the Institute of Radiology, Essen University Hospital,…
Sepsis diagnosis and treatment
‘We need an ECG for Sepsis,’ urged Professor Konrad Reinhart during this year’s Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (HAI) Congress in Berlin.
In their infancy but new PET tracers have a rich future
Dr Peter Choyke, Chief of the Molecular Imaging Programme at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, USA, believes that new tracers will have an evolving role to play and represent an exciting development in the imaging of cancers.
New tracers and hybrid systems enhance applications for SPECT
Although most nuclear medical examinations using SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) take place beyond hospitals, two to three times more SPECT exams than PET-CT exams are carried out within hospitals.
UK researchers are working on a new MRI technique
UK researchers are working on a new MRI technique called hyperpolarised MRI – or Dynamic Nuclear Polarisation (DNP) – that can utilise more of the available nuclei than traditional MRI, helping to overcome some of its limitations by increasing sensitivity 10,000-fold or more. DNP is part of a longer-term aim to improve cancer mortality with the help of novel cancer imaging tools.
What’ s new in the world of radiology?
Radiology constantly evolves. There are technical advances in terms of the capabilities of various modalities, greater clarity from contrast agents that are also safer for patients, and innovation in techniques that gains even greater performance from existing equipment, or enables further development.
Ultra High Field Magnetic Resonance
2011 brought a second year for European and US scientists to meet up at the Annual Scientific Symposium on Ultra High Field Magnetic Resonance, held at the Max Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine Berlin-Buch (MDC), Germany, to present and discuss their recent findings. Along with technical improvements, the main issues of the one-day gathering were cardiac, cerebral and molecular MR imaging.…
