Multiple Studies Raise Questions About Reliability of Clinical Laboratory COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests

In the absence of a “gold standard,” researchers are finding a high frequency of false negatives among SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests Serology tests designed to detect antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 illness have been dogged by well-publicized questions about accuracy. However, researchers also are raising concerns about the accuracy of molecular diagnostics which claim to detect the actual presence of the coronavirus itself. “Diagnostic tests, typically involving a...

University of Pennsylvania Researchers Develop $2 Zika Proof-of-Concept Test That Needs Neither Electricity Nor a Clinical Laboratory to Return Accurate Results

Using 3D printing and a chemical heat source, University of Pennsylvania researchers have created a proof-of-concept for an affordable Zika test that returns results in just 40 minutes There’s a gap in Zika virus testing that researchers at the University of Pennsylvania hope to fill. That gap is a point-of-care test for the Zika virus that can produce a fast and accurate result, whether in developed nations or in developing countries that don’t have many state-of-the art clinical...

Harvard Researchers Demonstrate a New Method to Deliver Gene-editing Proteins into Cells: Possibly Creating a New Diagnostic Opportunity for Pathologists

This technology has potential to create a demand for pathologists to do genetic analysis as a companion diagnostic in support of physicians treating patients with gene-editing proteins Researchers at Harvard University have demonstrated a new method to deliver gene-editing proteins into cells. This breakthrough could eventually trigger a demand for pathologists to do genetic analysis as the companion diagnostic needed to help clinicians select appropriate gene-editing therapies for their...

Use of 3D Computer-Assisted Diagnosis Raises Sensitivity of Malignant Melanoma Detection

New imaging technology might change flow of biopsies to dermatopathologists Dermatopathologists will be interested to learn about new imaging technology that significantly boosts the accuracy of this methodology to analyze images of the skin and diagnose malignant melanomas. Although still in the research stage, these technology advances demonstrate how advanced imaging solutions, in tandem with computer-aided diagnosis, may allow dermatologists to evaluate patients without the need to harvest...
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