New Research Challenges Long-Held Theory about Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease, Creating the Possibility of Useful New Biomarkers for Clinical Laboratory Tests

University of Cincinnati researchers hypothesize that low levels of amyloid-beta protein, not amyloid plaques, are to blame New research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Karolinska Institute in Sweden challenges the prevailing theory about the causes of Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting the possibility of new avenues for the development of effective clinical laboratory assays, as well as effective therapies for treating patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Scientists have long...

Monkeypox Outbreak Subsides in US, Europe, But Public Health Concerns Remain

Experts cite high vaccination rates and behavioral changes among at-risk groups, but warn about complacency; clinical laboratories should remain vigilant In July, Scott Gottlieb, MD, Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from May 2017 to April 2019, wrote an op-ed in The New York Times titled, “Monkeypox Is About to Become the Next Public Health Failure.” In it, he wrote, “Our country’s response to monkeypox has been plagued by the same shortcomings we had with COVID-19.”...

‘Helicopter Research’ by Genetic Scientists Comes under Scrutiny in South Africa

Clinical laboratories and pathology groups can benefit from knowing how genetic testing is being used for other than medical testing purposes It is useful for pathologists and clinical laboratory managers to be aware of the different ways genetic testing and DNA sequencing is being conducted. That’s because a genetic test for one purpose—such as identifying an individual’s relatives and connection to a region or a cultural group—might generate data that could become part of that person’s...

Medical Laboratories Respond to Monkeypox Outbreak Using CDC-Developed Diagnostic Test

The federal agency shipped tests to five commercial clinical laboratory companies, augmenting efforts by public health labs Medical laboratories in the US are ramping up their efforts to respond to an outbreak of monkeypox that has been spreading around the globe. Microbiologists and clinical laboratory scientists will be interested to learn that this infectious agent—which is new to the US—may be establishing itself in the wild rodent population in this country. If proved to be true, it means...

New Study on Hospital Pricing by Houston Business Group Highlights Gaps Between Medicare and Private Insurance Payments

Employer group in Houston plans to use the numbers to pressure lawmakers for policy changes involving how hospitals and health plans price their services Clinical laboratory leaders will probably not be surprised to learn that wide disparities exist between what Medicare pays hospitals and what is paid by private insurers and employers. That’s according to analysis by the Houston Business Coalition on Health (HBCH) which examined costs and billing practices at four of the region’s top...
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