Oxygen is the key to life and something most take for granted every day. For those whose every breath is painful or a struggle, getting oxygen into their blood stream is anything but simple. Respiratory disease is a common and significant cause of illness and death globally and includes:

Immune cell analysis has become a heightened priority in the development of novel therapeutic medicines. The complexity of cell interactions makes evaluation inherently difficult, requiring in vitro analysis of each cell type. There have been significant strides in research to support large-scale immune interaction of various cells such as CTen (Cell Type Enrichment) and GSEA (Gene Set Enrichment Analysis), however, these methods calculate enrichment scores according to the presence of a gene query over predefined gene set and don’t account for expression information as they are qualitative in nature. This tactic is beneficial for research surrounding single cell activation during treatment and isn’t necessarily representative to mixed typing from a tissue derived sample.

When working on targeted therapeutic drug development in oncology, tumor mutation heterogeneity makes it difficult to treat all patients. However, there is one biomarker that has been found to affect 30% of all tumor cases- the RAS mutation. The abundance of this genomic abnormality was discovered via the ongoing investigations into targeted RAS cancer therapies. Researchers thus have been working to find a method to block the RAS pathway in all tumors, with the desired outcome to treat all patients regardless of differing cancer subtype.

I just came back from an educational and inspirational two days attending the Powering Precision Health Summit held in Boston, MA. Breakout sessions throughout the meeting focused on targeted therapies and biomarker detection for neurodegenerative, oncology, autoimmunity, cardiovascular and metabolism diseases.

‘Awareness’ on its own is a very poignant noun and cleverly selected for the observance of the disease focused months. Initially suggesting a recognition of the fact, right up to an intricate understanding and knowledge of the disease, September’s awareness campaign encompasses the leukemias, lymphomas and myelomas of this world. Whether we grew up learning of their existence from a true heart-breaking sick relative story or a fiction-penned “Love Story”, the majority of us can recognize their names.

Choosing the right blood anticoagulant is a critical factor in the success of downstream applications with plasma, platelets, or cells. Certain anticoagulants can have deleterious effects on molecular assays, inhibit specific enzymes, alter cellular morphology, or interfere with coagulation. The anticoagulant mechanism of action directly determines the suitable recommended applications. Comprehending and utilizing the appropriate anticoagulant will contribute to a more accurate measurement or successful cellular assay.

Human skin tissue acts as the first line of defense against outside stimuli attempting to enter the body. It also provides an important role in maintaining an ongoing level of internal homeostasis. Separated into the Epidermis, Dermis, and Hypodermis, each layer performs a specific function essential to the maintenance of ongoing bodily function.

Glioblastomas — the most common and aggressive brain tumors in adults — can be difficult to treat because therapies only affect a proportion of tumor cells, which in turn leads to a poor survival rate in the patient population. It is hypothesized that a subgroup of cells within these tumors, identified as Glioblastoma Stem Cells (GSCs), reproduce making identical drug-resistant copies of themselves.

With an incident rate of 55,000 diagnosed cases per year, thyroid cancer is becoming the fastest-growing cancer type in the United States. Like other tumor classifications, genetic abnormalities and mutations play a key role in the proliferation of cancer cells; and although previously identified point mutations are observed in 90% of thyroid cancers, driver mutation intricacies have an opportunity for exploration. For example, the insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 3’s (IGF2BP3) activation is still not fully understood.

Telomeres are regions of highly repetitive DNA at the end of a chromosome that assists in cellular duplication and rejuvenation. This physiological function has been historically associated with biological aging as the length of the telomere shortens after division and subsequently alters the effectiveness of DNA replication. However, a team of researchers at the Jackson Laboratory at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (UTMD) have found that the length is also impactful in genetic alterations in 31 different types of metastatic tumors.