Biomarkers

Harvard scientists have investigated why we age, and how we could stop it. In tests in mice, the team showed that epigenetic “software glitches” drive the symptoms of aging – and a system reboot can reverse them, potentially extending lifespan.

Although there are now a number of skin-worn sensors which identify metabolites in sweat, the technology is limited in what it can detect, plus the sensors often aren't reusable. A new one, however, utilizes a "molecularly imprinted polymer" to be much more useful.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is one of leading causes of infant death and a team of researchers in Australia have now identified the first blood biomarker linked to brain arousal that could potentially be used to identify infants most at risk.

Urine analysis may indeed be a valuable source of information on a patient's health, but arranging for samples to be taken and analyzed can be time-consuming. A new sensor could help, by allowing diapers to do the job on an ongoing basis.

Cancer treatments have better outcomes if the disease is caught early. A new Oxford study demonstrates an experimental blood test that shows promise in detecting a variety of cancers in patients, and even whether or not they’ve spread.

Glioblastoma is a brain cancer that can be aggressive and, unfortunately, tricky to diagnose without a biopsy. But a new noninvasive method, tested in mice and pigs, could one day diagnose the disease with ultrasound pulses and a basic blood test.

Blood samples taken from Russian cosmonauts before and after long stints on the ISS have revealed elevations of biomarkers that could indicate brain damage, adding to a growing body of research highlighting the deleterious effects of space travel.

New research from the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging is demonstrating a new tool that can calculate a person’s immune system age, which could help predict frailty and disease before symptoms appear.

New data from a preliminary trial testing a novel kind of brain cancer drug has found incredibly promising responses in a particular subset of patients. A Phase 2 trial is now underway concentrating on patients with a specific biomarker.

Researchers are closer to an objective blood test for mood disorders, with a new study describing a panel of blood-based biomarkers that can distinguish between depression and bipolar disorder, and measure the future risk of developing these conditions.

A brand new type of particle has been discovered in the human bloodstream. The sausage-shaped structures were first found by researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology in mice with sepsis, and they appear to be related to inflammatory disease.

Preliminary research has discovered several blood-based biomarkers which can specifically indicate stroke damage to brain tissue. The goal of the research is to develop a simple blood test to rapidly detect whether a patient is suffering a minor stroke.