News
Scientists discover genetic and immunologic underpinnings of some cases of severe COVID-19
New findings by scientists at the National Institutes of Health and their collaborators help explain why some people with COVID-19 develop severe disease. The findings also may provide the first molecular explanation for why more men than women die from COVID-19.
Study: Safer UV Light Effectively Kills COVID-19 Virus
A study conducted by Hiroshima University (HU) researchers found that using ultraviolet C light with a wavelength of 222 nanometers which is safer to use around humans effectively kills SARS-CoV-2—the first research in the world to prove its efficacy against the virus that causes COVID-19.
Battling COVID-19 and Bracing for the Flu: How Molecular Tests Can Help
Around this time each year, clinical lab managers must prepare for the vagaries of flu season—stocking test kits and reagents based on guesswork about flu prevalence, vaccine efficacy, and many other hard-to-predict factors.
Hospital Labs Continue to Experience Reductions in Test Orders as ED Visits for Common Conditions Slowly Climb Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels
Based on an analysis of hospital emergency department (ED) usage, federal researchers concluded that patients continue to be cautious when visiting healthcare providers, including clinical laboratories, and that people are altering how they seek and utilize emergency care due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Air and Environmental Contamination Caused by COVID-19 Patients: a Multi-Center Study
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Human White Blood Cells Use Molecular Paddles to Swim
Human white blood cells, known as leukocytes, swim using a newly described mechanism called molecular paddling, researchers report in the Sept. 15 issue of Biophysical Journal. This microswimming mechanism could explain how both immune cells and cancer cells migrate in various fluid-filled niches in the body, for good or for harm.
Novel Dual CAR T Cell Immunotherapy Holds Promise for Targeting the HIV Reservoir
A recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine, led by researchers James Riley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Todd Allen, PhD, a professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Group Leader at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, describes a new dual CAR T cell immunotherapy that can help fight HIV infection.
New Research Suggests Clinical Laboratory Blood Tests Could Fill A Void in Alzheimer's Disease Diagnoses
Researchers disclosed a potentially useful biomarker for Alzheimer’s Disease at a major conference this summer. The good news for clinical laboratories is that the biomarker is found in blood. If further research confirms these early findings, medical laboratories could one day have a diagnostic test for this condition.
Staying an Introvert, Becoming a Leader
Today’s rapidly evolving healthcare environment is causing a sea change in the way labs do business. The path to continuing success depends on collaboration, persuasion, and putting the value of the lab front and center in an institution.
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