Genome mutations reveal acute myeloid leukemia risk, potential drug targets
New genetic and epigenetic alterations in the genome discovered by scientists at The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network offer promising disease markers for acute myeloid leukemia--a finding that may have narrowed the search for drug targets.
Blood protein could mark atherosclerosis
Researchers at the Montreal Heart Institute have ferreted out a blood protein that could help diagnose atherosclerosis, a thickening of the arterial wall that can lead to heart attack.
Biomarker trio enables blood Dx to map heart attack risk
Another team of researchers is tackling the task of developing a blood test designed to predict a patient's likelihood of suffering a heart attack. And they've zeroed on three promising biomarkers to help get the job done.
Investigators raise doubts about VEGF as a driver behind prostate cancer
A group of investigators say they put one theory related to prostate cancer to the test, and came up with some data indicating it's a dead end for developers as well as doctors looking for the right therapeutic strategy for patients.
Bristol-Myers Squibb pursues cancer biomarker development deal
Bristol-Myers Squibb will collaborate with Adaptive Biotechnologies to develop immunological biomarkers for cancer, representing another step forward in the development of personalized medicine.
Fetus secretes hormone that could flag preeclampsia risk
The hormone adrenomedullin is secreted by the fetus during pregnancy and appears to keep pregnant women from developing preeclampsia. And they believe it could become an effective biomarker to help pinpoint patients more likely to develop the dangerous condition.
9 blood-based biomarkers correspond to amyloid plaque in the brain
Researchers in Australia have identified 9 blood-based biomarkers that correspond with PET imaging measurements of amyloid beta protein, a brain plaque that can signify the advance of Alzheimer's disease.
International Parkinson's biomarkers trial begins
A massive, international study to find and evaluate potential Parkinson's disease biomarkers has finished enrolling a first group of 600 Parkinson's patients and controls.
Investigators profile a lethal tumor cell that could spur metastasis
A team of investigators believe they've come up with a convincing profile for a particular type of tumor cell that could be used as a biomarker for diseases progression as well as a target for drug developers looking to identify a next-gen therapeutic.
Dozens of new biomarkers gauge ovarian cancer survival prospects
Scientists at the University of Illinois have used the Cancer Genome Atlas to pinpoint dozens of biomarkers that can gauge a patient's survival prospects with ovarian cancer and also predict when the cancer might return.
Brain atrophy could predict MS, study finds
Using MRI scans to measure tissue atrophy in the thalamus can accurately predict multiple sclerosis, according to new research, pointing the way to a more reliable biomarker than current methods.
Verastem gears up for companion Dx mesothelioma treatment trial
Verastem's quest to develop drugs that block cell signaling pathways that cancer stem cells need to survive hits a major milestone in mid-2013, when it launches a 350-patient clinical trial of a potential companion biomarker test for its investigative mesothelioma drug treatment.
Key biomarker measure + CT scan predict melanoma survival odds
Doctors at the University of Mississippi Medical Center accurately gauged whether antiangiogenic treatments are working in melanoma patients by using CT imaging combined with measurements of a key biomarker.
Scientists use fMRI, neurological pattern to diagnose pain
Among the limited options available in the quest for a reliable pain biomarker are patient facial expressions and their own reports of how much they hurt. Now researchers believe they have found a distinct, reliable neurological pattern that appears to reflect response to pain caused by heat.
Presence of certain bacteria could indicate dangerous infant disorder
A new biomarker discovered by researchers at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center may help prevent a serious medical condition that occurs mostly in premature or sick infants.
Discovery: Thousands of genes mark schizophrenia risk
A global research effort has identified a wide variety of biomarkers that point to the risk of developing schizophrenia. The discovery, led by experts at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, gives scientists a whole slew of potential new targets for drug treatment.
HER2 levels could help guide treatment for aggressive breast cancer
For women with a very aggressive form of breast cancer, a newly discovered biomarker could indicate how much they might benefit from a recently approved drug.
Biomarker for liver problems also predicts lung cancer likelihood
Call it biomarker repurposing. Researchers have identified a compound produced by the body that can flag smokers at increased risk for lung cancer--a substance long used to gauge liver function.
Biomarkers discovered to cisplatin-resistant cancer cells
Scientists at University Paris Descartes in Paris, France, identified biomarkers in non-small cell lung cancer cells that prove resistant to the chemotherapy drug cisplatin.
CV biomarker study finds evidence of bias, exaggeration in the field
Scanning the field of biomarker research for cardiovascular disease, a group of investigators has found some compelling data that suggest the effect of the biomarkers is regularly exaggerated, with signs of bias in the reports. And that clearly could be hurting the medical field's understanding of the biomarkers' significance.
