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Laboratory medicine news
RNA sequencing platform unlocks rare disease diagnoses missed by standard tests
Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) developed a new RNA sequencing strategy that can reveal how genetic variants disrupt gene function and improve the diagnosis of rare diseases.
Apr 15, 2026
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Blood-based DNA signals may help track osteosarcoma in children
Detecting whether osteosarcoma, a rare but aggressive bone cancer that most often affects children and adolescents, has returned or spread remains a major challenge for patients and doctors. Blood-based biomarkers, which ...
Apr 15, 2026
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AI-powered biochip detects genetic markers in 20 minutes
A team of scientists from NTU Singapore has developed a new biochip that, when paired with artificial intelligence, can quickly and accurately detect extremely small amounts of microRNAs, which are tiny genetic markers linked ...
Apr 15, 2026
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Blood test can predict Alzheimer's disease progression years before symptoms or brain scan changes
A study by investigators at Mass General Brigham has found that a blood test of plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (pTau217), an Alzheimer's disease biomarker, can predict the progression of amyloid PET scan changes and cognitive ...
Apr 14, 2026
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Ultrasensitive test reveals evidence of previously undetected tuberculosis in hospital patients
Researchers at Boston University have discovered an unexpectedly high prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA (TB DNA) in patients hospitalized in Boston, suggesting that tuberculosis disease may be significantly underdiagnosed ...
Apr 14, 2026
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Hidden tumor protein may help forecast immunotherapy success in colon and rectal cancer
Determining the presence of a protein in non-tumor cells within the cancer microenvironment could be one of the keys to establishing prognosis in patients with colon and rectal cancer. It may also help identify which patients ...
Apr 14, 2026
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Urine test can predict likelihood of progression to severe dengue disease
Scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, have discovered that specific proteins in urine can accurately predict the likelihood of dengue patients developing severe dengue. The findings could help doctors ...
Apr 13, 2026
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Recent outbreaks highlight the risks of bacterial meningitis—and the need to vaccinate
Outbreaks of bacterial meningococcal disease in England and recent cases in students in New Zealand have raised awareness of this serious and life-threatening disease.
Apr 12, 2026
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Hidden skin microbe activity revealed in real time with RNA method
Scientists have long known that our skin is home to vast communities of bacteria, fungi and viruses. But knowing which microbes are present only tells part of the story. What matters just as much is which microbes are active, ...
Apr 10, 2026
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Without the right tests, the best medicines make no difference
A new analysis from UC San Francisco argues that diagnostics—medical tests that match patients to the appropriate treatment—are being overlooked both in the United States and around the world. This is slowing progress against ...
Apr 9, 2026
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AI-powered portable sensor enables rapid and multiplexed cardiac biomarker testing
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 20 million deaths each year. Rapid diagnosis and risk assessment of cardiac injury are therefore essential for improving patient outcomes.
Apr 9, 2026
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AI outperforms doctors at summarizing complex cancer pathology reports
AI models can generate more complete summaries of complex cancer pathology reports than physicians, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study that tested six models developed by Meta, Google, DeepSeek and Mistral AI.
Apr 9, 2026
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A urine test that could change the course of bladder cancer care
Bladder cancer arises from the lining of the bladder, the organ that stores urine, and is one of the most common cancers in the United States. Most patients are diagnosed at an early stage called non-muscle invasive bladder ...
Apr 8, 2026
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Sequencing method exposes hidden gaps in immune signaling by tracking RNA and protein together
A new single-cell technology is giving scientists their clearest view yet of immune cell behavior—capturing not just genetic intent, but real-time activity. By measuring RNA and proteins simultaneously, it reveals cytokine ...
Apr 8, 2026
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Gene-edited stem cells help five blood disorder patients stop transfusions in clinical trial
Stem cell transplantation could be a rapid and effective way to restore hemoglobin production in individuals with the blood disorder β-thalassaemia. The treatment, presented in a phase 1 clinical trial, could reduce dependence ...
Apr 8, 2026
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Pilot study confirms cost-effective way to combat ICU drug-resistant infections
A QUT-led pilot study has shown the use of a relatively simple and cost-effective method of monitoring the presence of infectious disease-causing bacteria in intensive care units and their sites of transmission. The collaborative ...
Apr 8, 2026
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A better way to see how brain cells falter in disease
To gain better insight into what's happening in the brain, researchers examine the molecules produced by brain cells, including RNA and proteins. But existing methods for molecular profiling don't always capture the cells' ...
Apr 7, 2026
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AI-powered blood test paves the way for early diagnosis of leprosy
A new blood test combined with a standardized questionnaire and artificial intelligence may transform the way leprosy is diagnosed in Brazil. Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) tested the new test in Brazil ...
Apr 7, 2026
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Detecting multiple cancers and other diseases from a single blood sample
UCLA scientists have developed a simple and cost-effective blood test that, in early studies, shows promise in detecting multiple cancers, various liver conditions and organ abnormalities simultaneously by analyzing DNA fragments ...
Apr 6, 2026
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SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron BA.2 show clustered spike D614 reversions. What it could mean for surveillance
Researchers from University of Tsukuba and Institute of Science Tokyo have identified nonrandom patterns in the emergence of spike D614 reversions in publicly available SARS-CoV-2 genomic data. Analysis of publicly available ...
Apr 4, 2026
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CDC pauses dozens of types of lab testing during evaluation and in wake of downsizing
The federal government's disease-tracking agency has paused its diagnostic testing for rabies, monkeypox and a number of other infectious diseases.
Apr 2, 2026
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Simple blood test could spot dementia years earlier, research shows
A blood test could help identify people at higher risk of cognitive decline years before a traditional diagnosis is possible—according to University of East Anglia research published in the journal Gut Microbes.
Apr 1, 2026
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AI model can detect multiple cognitive brain diseases from a single blood sample
The symptom profiles of different neurodegenerative diseases often overlap, and diagnosing age-related cognitive symptoms is complex. A patient may have multiple overlapping disease processes in the brain at the same time, ...
Mar 31, 2026
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New test identifies active, infectious form of tuberculosis
Researchers in the UC Davis Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine have created a new tuberculosis blood test that can detect the active, infectious form of the disease. The discovery enables faster diagnosis and ...
Mar 31, 2026
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Organ-on-a-chip technology replicates decades of human aging in just four days
Over one billion people worldwide are over 60, and the population is projected to more than double by 2050. But as more people live into their 60s, 70s, and 80s, health care systems across the globe may face new challenges ...
Mar 30, 2026
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