A group of researchers led by scientists from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech have developed a new technology that detects distinct genetic changes differentiating cancer patients from healthy individuals [1]. The technology is described in a recent study published in the journal Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer and may one day serve as the basis for a cancer predisposition test.
Biomarker Bulletin: March 21, 2011
March 21, 2011 | by
Biomarker Bulletin is an occasionally recurring update of news focused on biomarkers aggregated at BiomarkerCommons.org. Biomarkers are physical, functional or biochemical indicators of normal physiological or disease processes. The individualization of disease management — personalized medicine — is dependent on developing biomarkers that promote specific clinical domains, including early detection, risk, diagnosis, prognosis and predicted response to therapy.
- MedTrust Online, Avantra Biosciences Collaborate to Involve Clinicians in Assay Development
MedTrust Online and Avantra Biosciences recently announced that they will collaborate on involving clinicians in early-stage development of molecular diagnostic assays to run on Avantra Biosciences’ QPDx multiplex immunoassay system.
- Biomarker May Prove Useful for Diagnosing Knee Injury
Researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine recently discovered a biomarker that may enable doctors to diagnose a common form of knee injury. The study, published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, has identified a specific protein complex in the knee fluid of patients with painful meniscal tears.
- OncoTrack Launches Search for Novel Genomic Cancer Diagnostics
A new European consortium called OncoTrack has just launched one of Europe’s largest collaborative academic-industry research projects to develop and assess novel approaches for the identification of new biomarkers for colon cancer. The five year project, Methods for systematic next generation oncology biomarker development, brings together top European academic researchers with a wide range of expertise and partners them with pharmaceutical companies.
- Discovery of Diagnostic and Prognostic Prostate Cancer Serum Biomarkers Guided by Cancer Genetics
An interdisciplinary team of researchers from ETH Zurich, University Hospital Zurich and the Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallenhas has defined biomarkers in patients’ blood serum that indicates the presence of prostate cancer. The method used has the potential to be applied to other types of tumors.
- SciClips Launches Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker Database
In the era of personalized medicine, drugs will be targeted to patients based upon his or her unique genetic profile. Biomarkers are a critical component for tailoring treatments to individual patients. Biomarkers will be used as tools for target discovery, noninvasive early stage diagnosis of diseases, for evaluation of mode of action of a drug, dose determination and prediction of the drug effect. They will accelerate not only the development of effective and non-toxic drugs but also help in monitoring patient health and response to treatment.
Biomarker Bulletin: March 7, 2011
March 7, 2011 | by
Biomarker Bulletin is an occasionally recurring update of news focused on biomarkers aggregated at BiomarkerCommons.org. Biomarkers are physical, functional or biochemical indicators of normal physiological or disease processes. The individualization of disease management — personalized medicine — is dependent on developing biomarkers that promote specific clinical domains, including early detection, risk, diagnosis, prognosis and predicted response to therapy.
- Sedentary Time Negatively Associated with Cardio-metabolic and Inflammatory Biomarkers.
Taking many breaks from muscular inactivity, even just 1-minute breaks, appears to lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and may result in a smaller waist circumferences. That’s the result of a recent study in the European Heart Journal, which evaluated sedentary time and breaks in sedentary time with continuous cardio-metabolic and inflammatory risk biomarkers.
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Researchers Identify Biomarkers of Poor Outcomes in Preterm Infants
Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center have identified biomarkers of poor outcomes in preterm infants that may help identify new approaches to prevention. The study investigated a polymorphism in a gene important for the immune system. Scientists found that the polymorphism raises the risk of bad outcomes in preterm infants, including death, necrotizing enterocolitis (death of intestinal tissue), and gram negative sepsis, an overwhelming infection.
- Over-expression of Repetitive, Non-protein Coding DNA Common in Tumor Cells
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center have discovered massive over-expression of certain non-protein coding DNA sequences in common tumor cells. The DNA sequences, called satellite repeats, have not been previously thought to have a role in cancer. The study appears in the journal Science.
- Elevated Levels of Cardiac Biomarkers Post-coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Associated with Increased Risk of Death
According to a recent JAMA study, patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery and had elevated levels of the cardiac enzymes creatine kinase or troponin in the 24 hours following surgery had an associated intermediate and long-term increased risk of death.
- Cysteine is a Potential Biomarker for Sleep Apnea
A new study in the journal Chest concludes that the amino acid cysteine may be a biomarker for the development of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The plasma biomarker was found to be elevated in patients with OSA, independent of obesity status.
Abnormal Heart Rate Turbulence May Predict Heart Disease
March 2, 2011 | by
According to a study in the February 15 edition of the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology, abnormal heart rate turbulence is associated with an increased risk of heart disease death in otherwise older, low-risk individuals [1]. Additional studies need to be done in order to understand whether this potential biomarker will be a clinically valuable tool.
Biomarker Bulletin: February 7, 2011
February 7, 2011 | by
Biomarker Bulletin is an occasionally recurring update of news focused on biomarkers aggregated at BiomarkerCommons.org. Biomarkers are physical, functional or biochemical indicators of normal physiological or disease processes. The individualization of disease management — personalized medicine — is dependent on developing biomarkers that promote specific clinical domains, including early detection, risk, diagnosis, prognosis and predicted response to therapy.
- Prize4Life Awards $1 Million Prize for Discovery of ALS Biomarker
Prize4Life, a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the discovery of a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) by offering incentives to drive innovation, today announced that Dr. Seward Rutkove, Chief of the Division of Neuromuscular Disease at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, has received the $1 million dollar Prize4Life award for the discovery of a new ALS biomarker.
- Rosetta Genomics Signs Agreements to Advance Development of Body Fluids-Based Diagnostic Tests
Rosetta Genomics has announced that it has signed two new agreements for the development and validation of microRNA-based diagnostics for various indications related to its Gen 3 products. Rosetta Genomics Gen 3 tests focus on cardiovascular indications, neurodegenerative diseases, women’s health and early detection of certain cancers, and are designed to leverage microRNA biomarkers extracted from body fluids.
- Genomic Health Announces Results of Biomarker Discovery Program Using Next-Generation Sequencing
Last week, Genomic Health, Inc. announced that its scientists had successfully used Illumina next-generation sequencing technology to survey expression of the whole human transcriptome and test hypotheses for biomarker discovery in archived tumor and normal breast tissue samples.
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation and Rules-Based Medicine Collaborate on SMA Biomarker Panel
The Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Foundation and Rules-based Medicine (RBM) have reached the first milestone in a program to develop a panel of plasma protein biomarkers for SMA using RBM’s Multi-Analyte Profiling (MAP) technology platform.
- Computable Genomix Secures Investment for the Development of Genetic Biomarker Tests
Memphis-based Computable Genomix announced this week that it has secured an investment from venture capital firm Innova Memphis to pilot a novel process for developing genetic biomarker tests. Leveraging its next-generation computational discovery capability, the company is developing highly targeted genetic biomarker tests for clinical researchers.
