https://medicalxpress.com/biomedical-technology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Laboratory medicine 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 to diseases such as heart disease. Introduced in an article published in the journal Advanced Materials, the new biosensing platform combines a specially designed nanophotonic chip with AI-automated image analysis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ai-powered-biochip-genetic-markers.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:20:03 EDT news695463755 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. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-rna-sequencing-platform-rare-disease.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:00:03 EDT news695394721 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 are measurable biological signals in the body, could offer a minimally invasive way to monitor the disease, but current methods often struggle to detect the small amounts of tumor DNA released by these bone cancers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-blood-based-dna-track-osteosarcoma.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:20:06 EDT news695462821 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 decline in cognitively healthy older adults. The findings may help push back the clock to enable simpler, earlier disease prediction and indicate who may be at risk for cognitive decline. The results are published in Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-blood-alzheimer-disease-years-symptoms.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 05:00:08 EDT news695310301 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 in the United States. The findings, published in Nature Communications, could reshape how clinicians approach tuberculosis (TB) detection and help accelerate progress toward elimination goals. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ultrasensitive-reveals-evidence-previously-undetected.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 05:00:07 EDT news695293382 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, what genes they switch on, and how they interact with one another on the skin. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-hidden-skin-microbe-revealed-real.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:40:02 EDT news695041309 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. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ai-powered-portable-sensor-enables.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:20:10 EDT news694959642 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 major diseases, despite rapid advances in targeted therapies and precision health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-medicines-difference.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:00:05 EDT news694949275 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 on blood transfusions in some individuals with the disease in the future, although further trials are needed to confirm these findings. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-gene-stem-cells-blood-disorder.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:00:04 EDT news694881422 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 cancer (NMIBC), in which the tumors are confined to the inner layers of the bladder. Despite early detection, the disease frequently returns. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-urine-bladder-cancer.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:20:06 EDT news694867082 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 activity with greater accuracy, strengthening the foundation for understanding cancer, inflammation and treatment resistance. Published in Scientific Reports, the findings could ultimately sharpen immunotherapy design and improve predictions of patient response. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-sequencing-method-exposes-hidden-gaps.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:00:01 EDT news694794962 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 using blood samples collected during a COVID-19 population survey. The method showed potential for identifying the disease earlier, in its initial stages, when symptoms are subtle and traditional laboratory tests often fail. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ai-powered-blood-paves-early.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 17:30:01 EDT news694799401 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' full complexity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-brain-cells-falter-disease.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:40:01 EDT news694782482 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 circulating in the bloodstream. The test, described in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could offer a powerful and more affordable approach to early disease detection and comprehensive health monitoring. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-multiple-cancers-diseases-blood-sample.html Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:00:03 EDT news694429501 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. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-simple-blood-dementia-years-earlier.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:40:03 EDT news694250018 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, for example, Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body disease, especially in the early stages of cognitive decline. Now, researchers at Lund University have developed an AI model showing that it is possible to detect several neurodegenerative diseases from a single blood sample. Their paper is published in the journal Nature Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-ai-multiple-cognitive-brain-diseases.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:00:05 EDT news694181642 Centenarians often live to 100+ due to a combination of protective genetic factors, which account for up to 50%, and healthy lifestyles, such as plant-forward diets, regular, natural movement and strong social connections. While these "agers" often possess unique immune system signatures, understanding the metabolic signs of healthy aging is not yet fully understood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-bile-acid-steroid-signatures-extreme.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:20:04 EDT news694104737 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 as they attempt to manage associated increases in age-related disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-chip-technology-replicates-decades-human.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:40:04 EDT news694104481 Scientists at Houston Methodist Research Institute have discovered that a fast-rising strep bacterium comes in more forms than expected, including ones that may lead to life-threatening infections. The study, led by James Musser, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine and director of the Center for Infectious Diseases at Houston Methodist, is published in Microbiology Spectrum. It is the largest U.S. study investigating Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDSE) at this level, as these strep infections are increasing worldwide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-genetic-code-bacterial-threat-genome.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:00:02 EDT news694103761 A new study by UCLA Health published in Cell presents a major advancement in the future of personalized medicine by pinpointing new connections between people's genes, disease risk and medicine response by using a clinically well-characterized and diverse population-represented biobank. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-strong-patient-diversity-biobanks-reveals.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:00:09 EDT news693764402 When patients develop a narrowing or blockage in the bile ducts—the tubes connecting the liver, gallbladder and intestines—physicians must determine whether the cause is cancer or a benign condition. The location of these blockages adds challenges to the diagnosis, and this uncertainty can delay treatment decisions for patients in the event they have this rare type of cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-molecular-bile-duct-cancer.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:00:03 EDT news693743101 Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer. It kills more people in the U.S. than breast, prostate, and colon cancer combined. When lung adenocarcinoma, the most common primary lung cancer in the U.S., grows into nearby blood vessels (a process called vascular invasion), the tumor is more likely to recur even if surgically removed. Pathologists can identify areas of vascular invasion post-operatively, but surgeons could perform more extensive surgery to lower the risk of recurrence if they could predict which tumors were more likely to have vascular invasion. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-surgery-biopsy-gene-reveal-lung.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:20:02 EDT news693580765 An international consortium has achieved a major breakthrough in the diagnosis of neurological diseases. In a recent publication in the journal Nature Medicine, they describe the discovery of a new quantitative biomarker in lumbar fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) that is helping doctors to diagnose Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia more accurately. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-cerebrospinal-fluid-biomarker-diagnosis-parkinson.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:00:01 EDT news693580741 Microscopic sensors that are as thin as a strand of hair but capable of taking multiple measurements simultaneously could revolutionize the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases like cancer. Researchers from Adelaide University's Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing and the University of Stuttgart in Germany worked together to develop the tiny sensors using state-of-the-art, ultrafast 3D micro-printing technology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-hair-thin-fiber-optic-sensors.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 19:00:01 EDT news693499802