Biomarkers

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.

A research team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has uncovered an exciting new possibility for crumpled graphene, finding it can serve as the basis of an ultra-sensitive biosensor for early cancer diagnosis.

A compelling new study from the International Agency for Research on Cancer is suggesting a simple biomarker in urine may be an effective test for bladder cancer, signaling the disease's presence up to 10 years before clinical signs appear.

When Parkinson’s patients are diagnosed with the condition, there are still many unknowns around how the disease will impact their lives. While it is no crystal ball, a new blood test is offering hope of better patient management.

A study is building on the association between the liver and Alzheimer’s . Suggesting a correlation between blood-based liver function biomarkers and several neurological signs of Alzheimer’s, the research hypothesizes the disease to have broader metabolic effects in organs other than the brain.

A team of researchers have revealed an innovative new salvia test that promises to quickly and cheaply screen for the presence of malaria parasites up to a week before any symptoms appear.

Scientists have discovered a protein than can predict whether a patient’s metastasized breast cancer is dormant or about to turn deadly. The research points to new treatments that may be able to stimulate dormancy in cancer cells before they metastasize.​

Scientists have developed a small handheld device that can scan for biomarkers to quickly and easily diagnose people with certain diseases and illnesses. Inspired (as always) by Star Trek’s tricorder, the new “multicorder” is designed to help doctors track illness from just about anywhere.

A new review article from a team at the University of Southern California is suggesting leaks in the blood-brain barrier could be a useful early warning sign signaling the onset of everything from Alzheimer's disease to multiple sclerosis before visible symptoms appear.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is one of those big unsolved medical mysteries but scientists from Columbia University is bringing us closer to understanding this elusive disorder. They've found a specific metabolic fingerprint for the condition that could lead to a new diagnostic tool for doctors.