Annually, less than 1% of people who contract the flu are tested, largely due to the need for skilled personnel and sophisticated equipment. Now, researchers have developed a low-cost paper strip test that could enable more individuals to determine the type of flu they have and receive appropriate treatment. This innovative test developed by researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard (Cambridge, MA, USA) and Princeton University (Princeton, NJ, USA) employs CRISPR technology to differentiate between the primary seasonal flu types, influenza A and B, and the subtypes H1N1 and H3N2. It can also identify strains resistant to antiviral treatments and could potentially extend to detecting swine and avian flu strains, including H5N1, which currently affects cattle. This could enhance both outbreak response and clinical care by making accurate, affordable, and rapid testing accessible in doctors’ offices and laboratories across the world. The test is based on a ...
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) represent a group of neurodegenerative diseases with symptoms that include dementia, behavioral changes, paralysis, muscle wasting, and movement impairments. These diseases are rare but have severe health impacts, and currently, there are no cures. Presently, conclusive diagnosis of the molecular pathology of these diseases during a patient’s lifetime is challenging because it typically requires examination of brain tissue. However, accurate diagnosis is essential for developing therapies and for patient stratification, which is necessary for testing targeted disease-modifying treatments. Now, researchers have demonstrated that the most common forms of FTD, as well as ALS and PSP, can be detected through blood tests, though these tests are not yet ready for routine clinical use. In the long term, they could significantly improve disease diagnosis and accelerate the development of new treatments. This research, led by the German Center for Neurodegenerative ...
Chemotherapy and similar treatments aimed at eliminating cancer cells often adversely affect patients’ immune cells. Each year, this results in tens of thousands of cancer patients suffering from weakened immune systems, making them susceptible to potentially fatal infections. Physicians are tasked with balancing the dosage of chemotherapy—enough to kill cancer cells but not so much as to dangerously reduce the patient’s white blood cell count, leading to neutropenia. This condition not only impacts health but can also lead to social isolation between chemotherapy sessions. Traditionally, monitoring of white blood cells has been limited to blood tests. Now, a new at-home white blood cell monitor offers doctors the ability to remotely monitor their patients’ health more comprehensively. This device, which avoids blood draws, uses light to scan the skin at the top of the fingernail and employs artificial intelligence (AI) to identify critically low levels of white blood cells. Based on ...
Parkinson’s disease is currently the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, affecting nearly 10 million people globally. It is a progressive disease caused by the deterioration and death of nerve cells in a part of the brain known as the substantia nigra, which is essential for movement control. These nerve cells diminish or become damaged, losing their ability to produce a crucial chemical, dopamine, often due to the accumulation of a protein called alpha-synuclein. Presently, treatments for people with Parkinson’s, such as dopamine replacement therapy, are initiated after symptoms like tremors, slow movements, gait issues, and memory problems have already appeared. However, there is a consensus among researchers that early prediction and diagnosis could lead to discoveries of treatments capable of slowing or halting the progression of Parkinson’s by protecting dopamine-producing brain cells. Now, a simple blood test employing artificial intelligence (AI) can predict the onset of Parkinson’s up to seven years ...
Current prostate cancer (PCa) screening protocols typically begin with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, which, if elevated, may lead to further assessment using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI). Now, a cost-effectiveness analysis has revealed that using biparametric magnetic resonance imaging (bpMRI) as an initial screening tool is less cost-effective than the traditional approach of first-line PSA testing followed by mpMRI. This conclusion held true even when assuming no cost for bpMRI, indicating that the financial savings do not compensate for the drawbacks of using the first-line MRI approach. A team of researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Seattle, WA, USA), in collaboration with other institutions, developed a microsimulation model to compare the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of first-line bpMRI versus first-line PSA with reflex mpMRI for prostate cancer screening. The study showed that initiating screening with MRI significantly increased the incidence of false positives, unnecessary prostate biopsies, and overdiagnoses, without a corresponding ...
A computer program powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and trained on nearly half a million tissue images can effectively diagnose cases of adenocarcinoma, the most prevalent type of lung cancer. The computer program developed and tested by researchers at NYU Langone Health (New York, NY, USA) provides an unbiased, detailed, and reliable second opinion for patients and oncologists regarding the presence of the cancer and the possibility and timing of its return, also known as its prognosis. This is because the program incorporates structural features of tumors from 452 adenocarcinoma patients, who are among the more than 11,000 patients in the U.S. National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Genome Atlas. Importantly, the program operates independently and is “self-taught,” deciding by itself which structural features are most critical for assessing the severity of the disease and its impact on tumor recurrence. In their research, the algorithm, known as histomorphological phenotype learning (HPL), successfully ...
Don Tracy, Associate Editor The cobas is classified as a four-in-one molecular test that can identify SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, influenza B, and respiratory syncytial virus from a single nasopharyngeal or anterior nasal swab sample. The FDA has granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to Roche’s cobas liat SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A/B & respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) nucleic acid test. According to the company, it is a four-in-one molecular test, defined as an automated multiplex RT-PCR assay that can detect SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, influenza B, and RSV from a nasal swab sample. Additionally, Roche reported that full results can be expected in 20 minutes via a compact analyzer.1 “Diagnostics play a critical role in the fight against respiratory illness,” said Matt Sause, CEO, Roche Diagnostics, in a press release. “We are proud to provide this innovative test to address the significant burden placed on healthcare systems. Now, healthcare professionals will be able to ...
Lucy Therapeutics (LucyTx) has announced it has raised $12.5m in additional funding to develop potentially new drugs and advance the company’s research programmes for neurological diseases. The funding, provided by existing investors, Engine Ventures and Safar Partners, with recent participation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Michael J. Fox Foundation and £1.6m from Parkinson’s UK’s Biotech programme, brings the company’s total funding to $36m. The new project aims to develop novel therapies that are based on mitochondrial small-molecule treatments and diagnostic biomarkers for Alzheimer’s (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), as well as continue the development of a novel drug target for Rett syndrome, a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder that affects brain development. AD and PD are the two most common neurodegenerative diseases worldwide, affecting around 24 million and ten million people, respectively. Using LucyTx’s platform, the team will analyse a variety of disease drivers central to ...
To improve cancer survival rates, it’s crucial to understand the disease during its initial stages. Research involving data from thousands of cancer patients has uncovered exciting findings about how blood proteins can influence cancer risk, highlighting the need for further investigation to determine which proteins could be effectively utilized for prevention. Researchers have now employed a cutting-edge proteomics platform to identify blood proteins that could potentially provide a seven-year advance warning for various types of cancer. Their study findings underscore the significant potential of proteomics to transform cancer detection, enabling earlier interventions that could lead to improved treatment success and possibly even prevention. In this groundbreaking study recently published in Nature Communications, the researchers used Olink Holding AB’s (Uppsala, Sweden) next-generation Olink Explore proteomics platform to examine blood samples from over 44,000 individuals. They successfully identified 371 proteins associated with 19 different types of cancer, including 107 proteins that could ...
Organiser:Reed Sinopharm Exhibitions Time:October 12 – 15, 2024 address:No. 1 Zhancheng Road, Heping Community, Fuhai Street, Bao’an District, Shenzhen Exhibition hall:Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center (New Hall) Product range: Medical Imaging Area: Radiology products, ultrasound products, nuclear medicine products, molecular imaging, interventional products, etc. Operating Room Area: Hybrid operating rooms, integrated operating room systems, surgical instruments, anesthesia machines, ventilators, monitors, operating room engineering, surgical lights, ceiling-mounted towers, etc. In Vitro Diagnostic Area: Overall laboratory solutions, clinical diagnostic equipment, diagnostic reagents, POCT, home diagnostic equipment, etc. Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Area: Rehabilitation equipment, assistive devices, traditional Chinese medicine treatments, physical therapy equipment, medical high-frequency equipment, etc. Orthopedics Area: Orthopedic implants, surgical instruments and equipment, bone power tools, and other orthopedic-related products covering three main categories: joints, trauma, and spine. Medical Information Technology Area: System integrators, mobile healthcare, medical management, quality control, clinical hospital information management systems, IT equipment providers for ...
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