News
NIH begins first-in-human trial of a universal influenza vaccine candidate
The first clinical trial of an innovative universal influenza vaccine candidate is examining the vaccine’s safety and tolerability as well as its ability to induce an immune response in healthy volunteers. Scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, developed the experimental vaccine, known as H1ssF_3928.
Shrinking a medical lab to fit on a fingertip
Identifying a patient's viral infection or diagnosing a blood disorder usually requires a lab and skilled technicians. But researchers at Princeton University have developed a new technology that goes a long way.
Rethinking innovation in the core lab
When it comes to the latest innovations in diagnostic tests, new technologies such as mass spectrometry and next-generation sequencing get a lot of attention. Traditional clinical chemistry assays? Not so much. Many of the assays in core chemistry laboratories are fundamentally the same as they have been for decades.
Exploring and cataloging the diverse human microbiome
The human gut microbiome - the vast group of microbes that resides in our gut - plays an essential role in our health and well-being, studies have shown. But there is still a lot to learn about the relationship between humans and the many microbes that can be a part of the microbiome in our guts and other parts of our bodies. If we are to understand how specific microbes affect human health, it will be critical to identify and characterize every microbial species accurately. A new study reported in Cell involving an international team of scientists has aimed to catalog a greater number of the microbes that live in the human gastrointestinal tract.
5 ways AI is being used to advance cancer research
AI and its various applications are redefining the way scientists approach cancer research, according to a review published in Drug Discovery Today.
Tumors and the treatments they require are inherently complex, authors Vaishali Y. Londhe and Bhavya Bhasin, both of the Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy & Technology Management in Mumbai, India, said in the paper, but AI is transforming the way oncologists look at cancer management.
Are you following the latest measles report? - Measles & rubella weekly monitoring report
In Canada, one new case of measles and no new cases of rubella were reported in week 12, 2019. Currently, there are three active cases of measles in Canada. Twenty-eight (28) cases of measles and no cases of rubella have been reported in Canada in 2019. These cases were reported by Québec, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Ontario, and Alberta.
Fine needle aspiration cytology as a preliminary diagnostic tool in chondroid syringoma
The researchers report a case of chondroid syringoma (CS) in a 44-year-old male. He presented with a firm asymptomatic nodule in his left upper lip of 2-year duration. The initial clue to the diagnosis was made on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), and a final diagnosis was based on histopathological examination. The case highlights the importance of FNAC in providing clues to the diagnosis of suspected cases of chondroid syringoma before performing large excisions and repair, which would require more skill and time. The researchers have also reviewed the cytological findings of all the cases of benign CS reported until the current date.
Opioid epidemic is increasing rates of some infectious diseases: Health, substance use professionals must work together to thwart public health crisis
The United States faces a converging public health crisis as the nation's opioid epidemic fuels growing rates of certain infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, heart infections, and skin and soft tissue infections. Infectious disease and substance use disorder professionals must work together to stem the mounting public health threat.
The fume hood: Your life depends on it
Most of us who work in laboratories have seen the safety videos that are a precondition of our employment. You know, the ones where an addled slacker commits the sum total of humankind’s follies in six and a half minutes, and we roll our eyes and think, “Yeah, that doesn’t happen.” Well, maybe not exactly, but the consequences can be dire when anything does go wrong.
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