Researchers have developed a new integrated genetic/epigenetic DNA-sequencing protocol known as MultiMMR that can identify the presence and cause of mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency in a single test from a small sample of DNA in colon, endometrial, and other cancers. This alternative to complex, multi-step testing workflows can also determine […]
SARS-CoV-2 antibody test helps select donor blood samples for therapeutic use
Researchers have developed and applied a robust, versatile antibody test to assist health authorities in managing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, according to a study published January 14 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Andrea Gamarnik of the Fundación Instituto Leloir-CONICET in Argentina, and colleagues. As of November […]
First over-the-counter COVID-19 test: Useful but not a game changer
Soon, people in the U.S. will be able to pick up a rapid antigen test for COVID-19 from their local drugstore without a prescription, test themselves and process the results at home. The Ellume COVID-19 Home Test that was granted an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration […]
Blood test may accurately predict Alzheimer’s: study
Scientists said Monday they had developed a way of predicting if patients will develop Alzheimer’s disease by analysing their blood, in what experts hailed as a potential “gamechanger” in the fight against the debilitating condition. Around 50 million people live with Alzheimer’s, a degenerative brain disease that accounts for more […]
Analysis: Talc-based cosmetics test positive for asbestos
Laboratory tests of talc-based cosmetics products, commissioned by the Environmental Working Group, found asbestos—a deadly human carcinogen for which there is no safe level of exposure—in almost 15 percent of samples. The analysis, published today in the journal Environmental Health Insights, calls attention to the outdated methods used for screening […]
Americans who go to office TWICE as likely to test positive for COVID
Americans who go out to work are nearly TWICE as likely to test positive for coronavirus as people who work from home, CDC report finds Researchers compared symptomatic patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and those who were symptomatic but tested negative About 35% of the positive patients said they were […]
The new 15-minute COVID test has potential, but standard tests are still the best way to track COVID-19
Testing remains a vital component of Australia’s success in managing COVID-19. We need to diagnose people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as early as possible so they can be isolated from others and their contacts quarantined. Testing also helps us understand to what degree the virus is […]
New blood test finds undetected COVID-19 cases
Researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have developed a new blood test capturing previous exposure to COVID-19. Initial results suggest many more people have been exposed to the virus in Australia than have been detected so far. “We screened 3,000 blood samples provided by healthy people around Australia for antibodies […]
Dementia: The simple smell test that could indicate your risk of developing the condition
Dementia is a cluster of symptoms associated with brain damage, a common symptom being memory loss. Dementia is one of the most devastating afflictions because it greatly diminishes one’s quality of life and those that care for them. Most devastating of all is the knowledge that there is no cure […]