MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'biomarkers'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:00:40 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140182&cid=t_105100_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F18%2Fmesothelin-antibodies-occur-in-some-women-with-an-epidemiologic-risk-for-ovarian-cancer%2F Researchers at Rush University Medical Center discover mesothelin antibodies in the bloodstream of infertile women, who possess a higher risk of ovarian cancer. Using a new approach to developing biomarkers for the very early detection of ovarian cancer, researchers at Rush University Medical Center have identified a molecule in the bloodstream of infertile women, who [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140182 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:32:48 +0100 5140182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130830&cid=t_105100_109_f&fid=38951&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarlatpsychiatry.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fblood-test-for-depression-really.html (Source: The Carlat Psychiatry Blog) The Carlat Psychiatry Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130830 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:10:00 +0100 5130830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636668&cid=t_105100_155_f&fid=38409&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropathologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fbest-post-of-october-10-army-general-on.html The next in our Best of the Month series is from October 15, 2011:USA Today ran a story today about a simple blood test that the US Army has developed which may objectively test for the presence of concussion.   The Army collaborated with Banyan Biomarkers, a Florida-based company, to develop the test. In checking Banyan's website, it looks as though the test consists of a panel of immunoassays which include SBDP145, SBDP120, UCH-L1, MAP-2, GFAP. If this test turns out to be as good as the Army is implying, the implications for those on the battlefield (and on the football playing field, I might add) are enormous. If it pans out, I would agree with Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army vice chief of staff, who is quoted in the article as saying: "This is huge."Thanks to Dr. Doug Shevlin... neuropathology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636668 Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:00:00 +0100 4636668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517236&cid=t_105100_113_f&fid=39278&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogsite.mdbuyline.com%2F%3Fp%3D196 A blood test that can identify obstructive coronary artery disease in its early stages?  Talk about an impact considering over 17 million Americans suffer from coronary artery disease (CAD), a treatable disease if diagnosed early.  Technologies such as PET, CTA, and MRI have come a long way in assisting in diagnosing CAD before a cath lab is required, but due to safety concerns and a cost-sensitive environment, they are not prescribed until symptoms appear. The Corus CAD blood test is designed to measure a patient’s genetic activity as an indicator for CAD and uses 23 genes as biomarkers for plaque build up and inflammatory disease.  Combined with an algorithm that adds clinical data such as age and sex, the test provides a numeric score of 1 to 40; the higher the value, the greater t... MD Buyline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517236 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:33:42 +0100 4517236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074463&cid=t_105100_155_f&fid=38409&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneuropathologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fthis-is-huge.html USA Today ran a story today about a simple blood test that the US Army has developed which may objectively test for the presence of concussion.   The Army collaborated with Banyan Biomarkers, a Florida-based company, to develop the test. In checking Banyan's website, it looks as though the test consists of a panel of immunoassays which include SBDP145, SBDP120, UCH-L1, MAP-2, GFAP. If this test turns out to be as good as the Army is implying, the implications for those on the battlefield (and on the football playing field, I might add) are enormous. If it pans out, I would agree with Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army vice chief of staff, who is quoted in the article as saying: "This is huge."Thanks to Dr. Doug Shevlin for alerting me to this news story. (Source: neuropathology blog) neuropathology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074463 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:54:00 +0100 4074463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013317&cid=t_105100_113_f&fid=39278&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogsite.mdbuyline.com%2F%3Fp%3D37 Similar to blood, just about everything in the body ends up in a patient’s breath, allowing it to be an excellent medium for quick noninvasive diagnostic testing.  Currently, there are several emerging breath tests for diagnosing asthma, H. pylori, and pharmaceutical levels in the body, and now, researchers are close to bringing a lung cancer application to market.  Lung cancer is a difficult form of cancer to detect in its early stages, so an accurate breath test could have enormous and exciting benefits.    ScienceDaily has published several articles on emerging breath tests for lung cancer, and according Dr. Michael Phillips, M.D., FACP clinical professor of medicine at New York Medical College, “The science behind biomarkers has been evolving for years.  This type of technolo... MD Buyline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013317 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:15:35 +0100 4013317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3865349&cid=t_105100_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fpf6WYPAVZos%2F Very interesting article in the New York Times on the reasons behind growing research of how to detect Alzheimer’s Disease: Rare Sharing of Data Leads to Progress on Alzheimer’s (New York Times) (Situation before) Scientists were looking for biomarkers, but they were not getting very far. “The problem in the field was that you had many different scientists in many different universities doing their own research with their own patients and with their own methods,” said Dr. Michael W. Weiner of the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs, who directs ADNI. “Different people using different methods on different subjects in different places were getting different results, which is not surprising. What was needed was to get everyone together and to get a common data set.” (Si... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3865349 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:05:51 +0100 3865349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862152&cid=t_105100_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F12%2Fthe-cancer-biomarker-conundrum-too-many-false-discoveries%2F The boom in cancer [including ovarian] biomarker investments over the past 25 years has not translated into major clinical success. The reasons for biomarker failures include problems with study design and interpretation, as well as statistical deficiencies, according to an article published online August 12 in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The boom [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862152 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 04:40:30 +0100 3862152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858380&cid=t_105100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F2TreNEXQoWc%2F Alzheimer’s disease made the news in a big way yesterday, thanks to a study that found a spinal fluid test that is apparently 100 percent accurate in identifying patients who have significant memory loss and are developing the disease. The study in the Archives of Neurology (here’s the abstract) was hailed as a breakthrough, since accurate and predictive biomarkers are so hard to come by. As we noted, this development should make it easier for clinical research to accelerate. People who have undergone spinal fluid tests can be enrolled in studies that are run to better solicit info about those who are developing symptoms and, later, to track the progress of drugs that are being developed to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s. The finding comes just one month after new diagnostic g... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858380 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:55:46 +0100 3858380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3854749&cid=t_105100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FqCu7f2Zmd98%2F Finding new ways to identify people who develop Alzheimer’s disease is a key step on the Holy Grail trail to prevent the affliction. And now yet another means of doing so has been discovered - a spinal fluid test that is apparently 100 percent accurate in identifying patients who have significant memory loss and are developing Alzheimer’s, according to a study in the Archives of Neurology (read the abstract). Such biomarkers, of course, should make it easier for clinical research to accelerate. People who have undergone spinal fluid tests can be enrolled in studies that are run to better solicit information about those who are developing symptoms and, later, to track the progress of drugs that are being developed to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s. The study included more than 3... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3854749 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:31:39 +0100 3854749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3787112&cid=t_105100_137_f&fid=39091&url=http%3A%2F%2Falzheimmers.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Falzheimers-research.html So it appears the thrust of research at the recent consortium is to take all the research that has gone on at various facilities and share and combine and put something together meaningful. The criteria for diagnosing and staging Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment is being reevaluated for the first time in years. When you think about it, this is crucial. There has been a certain way of diagnosing the disease definitely by looking at microscopic tissue under a microscope. That has not changed and we still can't do that on live human beings. However if there was a way to predict or even diagnose the disease much earlier, even before it starts to clinically show itself and manifest, this may have clinical implications for treatment, as well as prevention. Seemingly the earlier you can ... Caregiver Survival: I Hate Alzheimers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3787112 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:22:00 +0100 3787112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750277&cid=t_105100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FJRV_5GQ4Oyc%2F Hello, everyone. Nice to see you again. Hope your week is going well so far. Meanwhile, another busy day lies ahead, especially as the FDA panel meeting gets under way to review Avandia. So let’s get started with a cup of stimulation and some interesting tidbits to help you along. Have a good one and stay in touch… Vivus Diet Drug Faces FDA Skepticism (Associated Press) Merck Starts Work On New Plant In China (People’s Daily) Lawsuits May Reveal More Avandia Data (Reuters) Lilly To Cut 170 Manufacturing Jobs (Indianapolis Business Journal) Global CSO Market To Hit $6.5B By 2015 (OutsourcingPharma) Clinuvel Drug Offers Relief From Sensititivity To Light (Bloomberg News) Latisse Faces Patent Challenge (The Wall Street Journal) Bristol-Myers Starts Recall Of Coumadin (Assoc... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750277 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:03:03 +0100 3750277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3476080&cid=t_105100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F3pw0blnXNjE%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is something we hope to make a regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Baxter International hired Ludwig Hantson as corporate vice president and president, international. The move comes just two days after Hantson departed Novartis, where he headed the US pharmaceutical unit. A replacement ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3476080 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:58:44 +0100 3476080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3374375&cid=t_105100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FJHNZMyRf0k8%2F A new research collaboration involving the National Institutes of Health, the FDA and three drugmakers will be launched today in hopes of getting cancer drugs to the market faster, and test five experimental breast cancer medsReuters writes. The $26 million, five-year study will be called Investigation of Serial Studies to Predict your Therapeutic Response with Imaging and Molecular Analysis, or I-SPY2, and use DNA to match the best drug to each patient, and more quickly toss approaches that don’t work or are too toxic. The companies - Amgen, Abbott Labs and Pfizer - agreed to share info on using genes to predict how well patients respond as part of The Biomarkers Consortium, which includes the FDA, the NIH and PhRMA, the industry trade group. “I think it is the theme for the f... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3374375 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:56:09 +0100 3374375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370680&cid=t_105100_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FvqSexr-UG8Q%2F Biomarkers in Alcohol Misuse: Their Role in the Prevention and Detection of Thiamine Deficiency In Western countries alcohol misuse is the most frequent cause of thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency (TD) and consequent neuro-impairment. Studies have demonstrated that between 30 and 80% of alcoholics are thiamine deficient, and this puts them at risk of developing the Wernicke–Korsakoff (WK) syndrome. The relative roles of alcohol and TD in causing brain damage remain controversial and it is important to try to determine the role played by each factor. Animal studies support an additive effect of alcohol exposure and TD, and indicate the potential for interaction between alcohol and TD in human alcohol-related brain damage. Early diagnosis of alcohol-related TD is therefore an important ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370680 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:02:24 +0100 3370680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153592&cid=t_105100_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F07%2Felevated-proteins-may-warn-of-ovarian-cancer-but-sufficient-lead-time-predictive-value-still-lacking%2F Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center researchers discovered that concentrations of the serum biomarkers CA125, human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), and mesothelin began to rise 3 years before clinical diagnosis of ovarian cancer, according to a new study published online December 30 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. However, the biomarkers became substantially elevated only [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153592 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:22:08 +0100 3153592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2702485&cid=t_105100_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F14%2Fwomen-often-opt-to-surgically-remove-their-breasts-ovaries-to-reduce-cancer-risk%2F Many women at high risk for breast or ovarian cancer are choosing to undergo surgery as a precautionary measure to decrease their cancer risk, according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. PHILADELPHIA – Many women at high risk for breast or ovarian cancer are [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2702485 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:45:23 +0100 2702485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2630342&cid=t_105100_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FEGGcCC1Ohq4%2Fchanges-in-white-matter-may-predict.html The research was funded by the National Institute on Aging, a component of the National Institutes of Health; the Department of Veterans Affairs, a Paul B. Beeson Career Development Award in Aging, the Max Millis Fund for Neurological Research, and the Storms Family Fund at the Oregon Community Foundation.Join UsSubscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading RoomChanges in White Matter May Predict Dementia RiskResearch at Oregon Health & Science University supports the previously held notion that an increased rate of white matter degradation in the brain may help predict whether a person will develop dementia later in life. The results of the research are printed in the July 14 edition of the journal Neurology."Changes in brain white matter are frequently detected in MRI images as a person ages,... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2630342 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:53:00 +0100 2630342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2415754&cid=t_105100_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2Fh_B_yvS_i_4%2Fclincal-trial-evolution-of-memory.html This study, a parallel ancillary study of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), will first examine reproducibility of fMRI activation, using a face-name associative memory paradigm, and then the alterations in memory-related activation that occur over the course of MCI and mild AD.The study will also examine the relationship of fMRI activation to clinical variables, memory task performance, genotype, and other imaging techniques cross-sectionally and longitudinally, sampling at multiple time points over a 3-year period.So far, the only announced locations are in the Boston area. The research is being sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA).For all the details follow the link -- Evolution of Memory Related ActivitySubscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room--via E... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2415754 Mon, 18 May 2009 11:57:02 +0100 2415754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2299061&cid=t_105100_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F30%2Fsenators-kennedy-hutchison-renew-war-on-cancer%2F On March 26, 2009, Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) introduced the 21st Century Cancer Access to Life-Saving Early detection, Research and Treatment (ALERT) Act, a bill to comprehensively address the challenges our nation faces in battling cancer. This is the first sweeping cancer legislation introduced since the National Cancer Act [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2299061 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:32:52 +0100 2299061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2277185&cid=t_105100_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F16%2Fearly-detection-remains-key-in-updated-national-comprehensive-cancer-network-nccn-guidelines-for-ovarian-cancer%2F New updates to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™ for Ovarian Cancer were presented at the NCCN 14th Annual Conference on March 14. Notable additions to the NCCN Guidelines are a section on managing allergic reactions to chemotherapy agents and new agents for recurrence therapy. Robert J. Morgan Jr., M.D., F.A.C.P. of  the City [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2277185 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:23:47 +0100 2277185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2249327&cid=t_105100_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fpreventing-brain-damage-in-alcoholism%2F Biomarkers in Alcohol Misuse: Their Role in the Prevention and Detection of Thiamine Deficiency In Western countries alcohol misuse is the most frequent cause of thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency (TD) and consequent neuro-impairment. Studies have demonstrated that between 30 and 80% of alcoholics are thiamine deficient, and this puts them at risk of developing the Wernicke–Korsakoff (WK) syndrome. The relative roles of alcohol and TD in causing brain damage remain controversial and it is important to try to determine the role played by each factor. Animal studies support an additive effect of alcohol exposure and TD, and indicate the potential for interaction between alcohol and TD in human alcohol-related brain damage. Early diagnosis of alcohol-related TD is therefore an important a... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2249327 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 11:47:45 +0100 2249327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1886433&cid=t_105100_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F7AGPP4X5_9o%2F Traditionally, it is difficult to predict whether a cancer will recur, but recently biomarkers have been increasingly used that predict the recurrence of disease such as in prostate or bladder cancer, or chances of survival as in breast cancer. Another milestone has recently been reached, this time with liver cancer - a genetic signature has been identified that predicted whether a liver tumor is likely to occur. A signature made of 186 genes were found by an international team of scientists by probing the gene expression of 6,000 human genes. Correlating the gene expression of some 6,000 human genes with the recurrence at least two years after surgery, and also survival, led to a list of 186 genes as the probable signature for liver cancer recurrence. The team still have to validate the... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1886433 Sat, 18 Oct 2008 06:27:51 +0100 1886433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1538303&cid=t_105100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F318039756%2F Call it the Vulcan approach to R&D. A new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers says that forecasts using ‘new computer-based technologies will create a greater understanding of the biology of disease and the evolution of “virtual man” to enable researchers to predict the effects of new drug candidates before they are tested in human beings.’ The idea is to shave big chunks of time off the clinical trial process, but will require sharing intellectual property with, say, universities to make that happpen. The report is very interesting and so we chatted with Neil Patel, who is PWC’s director of the pharmaceutical R&D practice about the uncertain future… Pharmalot: What exactly is ‘virtual’ R&D? Patel: It’s a way to conduct R&... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1538303 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:28:59 +0100 1538303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1518624&cid=t_105100_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fnon-controversial-biotech-biomarkers-in.html So much time is spent by the media (and SHS) arguing about technologies like cloning and ESCR, that I like to feature non-controversial biotech stories from time to time in order to help us all keep a proper perspective. This story seems a good example: New biomarkers are being tested that may detect kidney damage in patients involved in new drug tests much earlier than is possible under current protocols, which don't pick up kidney damage until 1/3-1/2 of organ function is lost. But the new tests may allow for much quicker detection. From the story:The set of seven biomarker tests, when used in rats, can detect kidney damage almost as soon as it occurs, Goodsaid said. The tests measure levels in the urine of substances associated with the breakdown of kidney cells. At this point, the FDA ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1518624 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 15:43:00 +0100 1518624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1488705&cid=t_105100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F302917225%2F For drugmakers developing cancer meds, the future may be here - new genetic research on display at the ASCO meeting may help identify drugs most likely to work in particular people, but also sharply reduce the market for certain meds, The Wall Street Journal notes. This marks an important shift in cancer treatment and in attitudes of drugmakers and biotechs toward personalized medicine. Companies are beginning to accept a smaller market for some meds in return for a better chance that those who use them will have a good result, the paper writes. The focus of attention at ASCO is a gene called K-ras, which regulates cell growth and plays a crucial role in several cancers. A study indicated about 36 percent of patients with advanced colon cancer have a mutated form of the gene that assures t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1488705 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:36:29 +0100 1488705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1379319&cid=t_105100_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F04%2Fbiotech-advance-could-protect-patients.html I probably don't say this often enough, but most biotechnological research is entirely ethical and exciting. Case in point: The FDA is poised to approve a test that picks up "biomarkers" that could tell researchers whether a drug is harming a patient's kidneys during human trials and, I suppose, afterwards. From the story: Currently, experimental drugs are tested in animals before being taken to human clinical trails. But animals' reactions aren't always the best predictor of whether substances will be safe for humans. Drugs harmless to animals can hurt humans, and vice versa. If a drug toxic to the kidneys passes animal tests today, the damage might not show up until it is too late. "Using current tests, you have lost about 70 percent of the kidney function before you pick it up," says Wi... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1379319 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:28:00 +0100 1379319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1379587&cid=t_105100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F272122014%2F The agency is considering using seven biomarkers that signal kidney injury when found in the uring of test subjects in hopes of moving drugs to market faster and reducing patient risk, The San Francisco Chronicle writes. And an announcement is expected any day, according to one FDA official. “Today, the FDA gives approval for a new drug or device, but there has previously been no way to obtain approval for a new and better way to test a drug for its safety,” Ray Woosley, ceo the nonprofit Critical Path Institute, which is working with the FDA to safely speed drug development, tells the paper. Currently, experimental drugs are tested in animals before being taken to human clinical trails. But animal reactions aren’t always the best predictor of whether substances will be s... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1379587 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:56:38 +0100 1379587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1329092&cid=t_105100_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F258590308%2F  VereFluanalyser A joint venture between a microelectronics company and a medical diagnostics company has produced the world’s first “lab-on-chip” portable device for detecting various types of flu, including bird flu, at the point of need. The launch of VereFlu, described as a “breakthrough molecular diagnostic test that can detect infection with high accuracy and sensitivity”, was announced on Monday by its makers, STMicroelectronics of Switzerland and Veredus Laboratories of Singapore. The device was successfully trialled at the National University Hospital of Singapore. Unlike existing diagnostic methods, VereFlu is a breakthrough molecular diagnostic test that can detect infection with high accuracy and sensitivity, within two hours providing genetic inf... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1329092 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:22:25 +0100 1329092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1211992&cid=t_105100_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F02%2F06%2Fjournal-of-epidemiology-and-community-health-february-2008-622%2F The new issue of Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health is now available online. If you want to access the full text of the journal you’ll need your Athens password from the NHS (at the moment you’ll need one from Cheshire and Merseyside but from April this resource will be available nationally. If you don’t have an Athens password and are eligible you can get one here). Full contents of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2008 62(2) February In this issue Carlos Alvarez-Dardet and John R Ashton, Joint Edit J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 89. [Extract] [Full text] [PDF] “If you always do…” JRA J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62: 90. [Extract] [Full text] [PDF] The s... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1211992 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:11:34 +0100 1211992 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1013534&cid=t_105100_136_f&fid=36051&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FCancerCommentary%2F%7E3%2F181487996%2F A more accurate biomarker - osteopontin-c - has been identified by researchers  at University of Cincinnati that will predict if breast cancers will develop into an advanced form. Currently, biomarkers used are elevated levels of three standard molecules known to make tumors grow in the breast: estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER — are used as “biomarkers” for diagnosis and individually detect only a fraction of breast cancers. According to Georg Weber, MD, PhD, lead investigator of the new study and associate professor of pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati: “The problem with these biomarkers is that many of them are present at some level in the normal breast. In addition, they are surface molecules that support growth so they are not necessarily a... Cancer Commentary blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1013534 Thu, 08 Nov 2007 06:34:16 +0100 1013534 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486919&cid=t_105100_132_f&fid=35011&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fmndoci%2F%7E3%2F102643126%2F A new medicinal chemistry blog has an interesting post about “idiosyncratic” drug reactions, adverse reactions that occur in a small set of patients. For any number of reasons, trying to get a handle on unpredictable ADRs in small patient subpopulations is critical for the pharmaceutical industry. I am no authority on such ADRs and suggest reading the original post for more information, including references and the authors views. Currently, idiosyncratic ADRs are not predictable since their mechanisms are not well understood. This is where I believe that translational research is going to play a strong role. Can we identify potential biomarkers (either metabolic markers or genotypes or anything else) that can help identify potential patient subpopulations that might suffer from... business|bytes|genes|molecules blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486919 Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:06:20 +0100 486919