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WORLD’S CLINICAL LABORATORY NEWS LEADER Vol.41 No.2 • 4/2024
ISSN 1068-1760
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New Malaria Test is 12 Times Faster
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DAILY CLINICAL LAB NEWS
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Latest Research Advances Blood Tests for Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders
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alaria continues to pose a major global health threat, with approximately 247 million cases and over 600,000 deaths annually, predominantly in SubSaharan Africa. Particularly alarming is cerebral malaria, a severe form of the disease, which has
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he lack of non-invasive methods for monitoring brain status is a significant challenge in psychiatric care. Using genetic material from human blood and lab-grown brain cells, researchers have now made advances in developing a blood test to detect
brain-related changes associated with postpartum depression and other psychiatric and neurological disorders. The research by investigators at Johns Hopkins Medicine (Baltimore, MD, USA; www.hopkins medicine.org) focused on tracing Cont’d on page 2
Alzheimer’s Blood Test Could Replace Spinal Taps and Brain Scans
See article on page 12
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Method Detects Pathogens in Blood Faster and More Accurately by Melting DNA
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he conventional methods for measuring free cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, from blood or saliva are quite demanding and require sample processing. The most common method, therefore, involves collecting urine over several days. However, this method requires great perseverance from patients, as collecting every drop of urine over several days can be nearly
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uring the onset of the pandemic, individuals experiencing symptoms had to endure lengthy queues for lab-based PCR testing and then wait around two days for the results, to confirm if they were infected with the COVID-19 virus. This process was not only inconvenient but also involved complex and costly logistics, con-
lobally, an alarming one in every five deaths is attributed to complications related to sepsis, with children accounting for 41% of these fatalities. Common practice involves administering antibiotics to sepsis patients while waiting for blood
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AR T, or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, has been FDA-approved for various blood cancers such as certain types of lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma. While this innovative therapy enhances a patient’s immune cells’ ability to target and eliminate cancer cells, it is often linked with significant and occasionally severe side effects. Now, a research team
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Blood Test Predicts Lymphoma Outcomes
Image: Alzheimer’s brain showing abnormal concentrations of Tau protein tangles (blue) and beta-amyloid plaques (brown)(Courtesy of NIH)
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breakthrough blood test could replace more costly and invasive methods such as PET brain scans and cerebrospinal fluid tests in identifying Alzheimer’s indications within the brain, even before symptoms appear.
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culture results, which can contribute to antibiotic resistance. Ineffectively treating sepsis can be detrimental, as up to 30% of patients receive incorrect treatments, further elevating their risk of death. The critical nature of timely and accurate diagnosis in Cont’d on page 14
INSIDE LabMedica EXPO . 6-20
Clinical News . . . . 2-20
IFCC News . . . . 17-20
Industry News .. . . . 21 Events Calendar . . 22
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