The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) has recently announced the commitment of $6.7 million in new research grants to develop DNA sequencing technologies that are more sensitive, faster, cheaper, and more accurate than those already on the market. These new awards are a re-up in an investment that began…

Scientists at the National University of Ireland Galway have recently shown that the TP53 gene has even greater anti-cancer activity than previously suspected. The new study—“A role for the p53 tumour suppressor in regulating the balance between homologous recombination and non-homologous end joining”—published recently in Open Biology, provides new insight…

Molecular diagnostics company Biocept announced today it will collaborate with Shilpa Gupta, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota to observe the performance of the company’s liquid biopsy platform to detect the expression of PD-L1 and androgen receptor (AR) in patients diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancers. Biocept’s Target Selector™ platform…

Accurate and reliable diagnostic tests are the foundation of modern medicine and critical to the future of patient-centered care. Historically, the FDA has exerted little oversight of laboratory-developed tests (LDTs)—that is, no premarket review or quality system requirements—but this is changing. Due to advances in technology, LDTs have grown exponentially…

Researchers from the Swiss Nanoscience Institute, the University of Basel, and the University Hospital Basel have developed a new nanotechnology based method to rapidly detect genetic mutations in patients with malignant melanoma. Findings from the new study, “Fast Diagnostics of BRAF Mutations in Biopsies from Malignant Melanoma”, were published recently…

Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) systems represent a coming together of two powerful analytical tools that are paving the way for the advancement of clinical research methods and diagnostic applications. LC-MS combines the high-specificity chemical separation capabilities of liquid chromatography with the analytical power of mass spectrometry, enabling the flexibility to…

The principle underlying molecular diagnostics is simple—devise a methodology that quickly detects an altered state through the analysis of a biological marker. With that philosophy in mind, companies go to great lengths to develop sophisticated equipment that will accurately measure either a single or collection of biomarkers that are known…

Scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center have published new evidence for RNA-based biomarkers that can distinguish between normal, aging hematopoietic stem cells and leukemic stem cells associated with secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML). The new study—“RNA Splicing Modulation Selectively Impairs Leukemia…

The department of pathology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital recently launched  the Center for Computational and Systems Pathology, with the goal of revolutionizing pathology practice via the use of advanced computer science and mathematical techniques coupled with cutting-edge microscope technology and artificial intelligence. The academic…

Investigators at the University of Michigan Medical School recently set out to determine the level of racial disparity among genomic samples sequenced within databases such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) as the representation of ethnic minorities for sequencing efforts is vague, and could have a huge impact on health…

Researchers at Australia's Garvan Institute of Medical Research have developed a new technology based on synthetic human genome sequences, which they have dubbed “Sequins” and describe as synthetic mirror DNA sequences that reflect the human genome. The new technology is described in two linked studies—“Spliced synthetic genes as internal controls…

A new report from consulting firm Grandview Research predicts the global biomarker market, driven significantly by the growth of companion diagnostics and personalized medicine, will reach $78.2 billion by 2024. Factors anticipated to influence growth include the need for disease-specific biomarkers for the development of diagnostics, increasing research and development…

There is growing concern over the current ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to drugs used in the treatment of autoimmune (AI) disease, which is in no small part a result of the difficulty associated with identifying AI disease subgroups. This inability to effectively stratify patient populations means that a drug designed to manage…

In a new study led by investigators at the University of Utah School of Medicine, researchers report on their recent findings on an advance that could directly increase the sensitivity of liquid biopsies. These new minimally invasive blood tests have been growing in popularity over the past few years on…

North Dakota-based Sanford Health, one of the country’s largest integrated health networks with 43 hospitals and nearly 250 clinics located in nine states, has tapped Translational Software Inc. (TSI) for its pharmacogenomics data and knowledge base, as it looks to significantly expand the system’s genomics program to multiple regions. TSI,…