RECENT NEWS

Approximately 41,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) in the UK each year, and over 90% of cases are treated successfully following early detection. However, to selectively refer those patients with suspected CRC in a primary care setting remains immensely challenging. The recent revision of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) NG12 ‘red flag’ criteria for the two-week wait aims to increase the CRC detection rate.

Researchers have found a group of circulating tumour cells in prostate cancer patient blood samples which are linked to the spread of the disease, according to new research presented at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference in Liverpool. This is the first time that these cell types have been shown to be a promising marker for prostate cancer spread

Scientists have discovered a new way to replicate the regenerative power of stem cells in the laboratory, which could lead to powerful treatments for injuries and diseases. In a paper published in the journal ACS Nano, Dr Catherine Berry and Professor Matthew Dalby from the University of Glasgow’s Institute of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, describe how they have been able create and control bundles of bone marrow stem cells that act as the stem cells do in the body. These bundles of cells are capable of healing injuries in laboratory‐grown bone and cartilage models.

A flagship project which launched a range of prototype computer platforms to support brain research, including one based at the University of Manchester, has received an €89 million boost from the European Commission. The Human Brain Project, which comprises six new informatics-based platforms across Europe, aims to accelerate scientific understanding of the human brain, make advances in defining and diagnosing brain disorders, and develop new brain-like technologies.

Pressure from the charity Heart Research UK has helped bring about a change in advice to dentists about giving antibiotics to heart patients undergoing dental treatment. The victory comes after research, funded by the charity and healthcare provider Simplyhealth, showed that there had been an increase in cases of infective endocarditis since the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended in 2008 that at-risk heart patients should no longer receive antibiotic cover during dental treatment.

Scientists have discovered a new way to test hundreds of cancer drugs very quickly, which could cut the time it takes to find potential breast cancer treatments, according to a Cancer Research UK-funded study published recently in the journal Cell (Bruna et al. A biobank of breast cancer explants with preserved intra-tumor heterogeneity to screen anticancer compounds. Cell 2016). The researchers found they could do this by growing human tumour cells in mice before taking the cells out to run further tests using experimental drugs.

More than 3600 patients have received potentially lifesaving bone marrow and stem cell transplants during the last 30 years, thanks to the kindness of strangers. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is applauding their generous donors on the double anniversary celebration for the British Bone Marrow Registry (BBMR) and the NHS Cord Blood Bank, both of which play an integral part in saving lives.

British Association for Cytopathology President and IBMS Council member Allan Wilson recently travelled to Hong Kong and Malaysia to give talks to students and professionals in the fields of biomedical and laboratory science. Allan is Lead Biomedical Scientist in Cellular Pathology and Advanced Practitioner in Cervical Cytology at Monklands Hospital, Airdrie, and an Honorary Fellow of The Royal College of Pathologists.

A new report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in collaboration with the Aviano National Cancer Institute in Italy shows that the growing epidemic of thyroid cancer reported in recent decades in several high-income countries is largely due to over-diagnosis (ie the diagnosis of tumours that are very unlikely to cause symptoms or death during a person’s lifetime).

The International Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Science (IFBLS) has awarded Olusegun Olayemi the Elisabeth Pletscher Award. This award is given to an outstanding IFBLS Associate member for their continuous support of biomedical laboratory science through continuing education and other activities, and to promote the objectives of IFBLS.

In July, life sciences staff at Coventry University were invited to participate in a Science and Nature Trail at the Harvest Festival held at Jimmy’s Farm in Ipswich. Jimmy Doherty, an ex-Coventry University graduate, is well known from the BBC programme Jimmy’s Farm and through his partnership with Jamie Oliver on Channel 4.

Scientists from around the world attending the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) conference in Manchester recently heard that 2016 marks the year a ‘long overdue’ scientific fight back against the threat of antibiotic resistance finally gets underway.

A new protein which will help scientists to understand why nerve cells die in people with Alzheimer’s disease has been designed in a University of Sussex laboratory.

Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP) is to invest £60 million in a major expansion of Citylabs, its biomedical centre of excellence, in partnership with Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT). In a major vote of confidence for the Manchester city region, the development will create Citylabs 2.0 and Citylabs 3.0 on the CMFT campus, in the heart of Manchester’s Innovation District, Corridor Manchester.

Assessing a patient's levels of P-glycoprotein soon after they start receiving Glivec therapy will help to predict their long-term response to the leukaemia drug, according to new research from South Australia (Eadie LN, Dang P, Saunders VA et al. The clinical significance of ABCB1 overexpression in predicting outcome of CML patients undergoing first-line imatinib treatment. Leukemia 2016 Jun 24 [Epub ahead of print]).

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is not eradicated with low-concentration hydrogen peroxide airborne treatment, according to the latest research published recently. A comparative study conducted by an independent laboratory, published in Letters in Applied Microbiology (Murdoch LE, Bailey L, Banham E, Watson F, Adams NM, Chewins J. Evaluating different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide in an automated room disinfection system. Lett Appl Microbiol 2016 Jun 21. doi: 10.1111/lam.12607 [Epub ahead of print]), tested the efficacy of 5%, 10% and 35% weight by weight (w/w) hydrogen peroxide solutions when used with an automated room disinfection system.

The introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) primary screening in England was announced recently. DNA-based HPV testing has been at the heart of research over the past 10 years, through the landmark ATHENA study, which has demonstrated the long‐term safety of using HPV DNA as a predictor of cervical cancer risk.

John Lawrence James, whose biomedical science expertise culminated in worldwide responsibility for quality and competence in medical laboratories, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate at a recent Middlesex University graduation ceremony.

Superbugs is an app-based game produced by the Longitude Prize, aimed at those in the 11–16 age group. Players fight superbugs using existing and new antibiotics, and try to survive against the most virulent strains of bacterial infections.

It is now possible to predict how well tuberculosis (TB) responds to drug treatment, according to a new study at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Dr Simon Waddell, working with a team of researchers from the UK, South Africa and Finland, has discovered bacterial biomarkers that predict early treatment success. This may allow patients to finish drug therapy early, reducing the difficult and debilitating side-effects of the drugs and cutting treatment costs.