RECENT NEWS

An educational board game to help improve team performance in health and social care organisations has been developed by Focus Games in collaboration with NHS Lothian.

Arquer Diagnostics, the developer of a high-sensitivity, high-specificity, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based urine test for bladder cancer, has recruited 801 patients for a clinical trial to evaluate the company’s MCM5 bladder cancer diagnostics test. The results from the study will be used as part of the company’s application for CE mark approval, ahead of the commercial launch of the MCM5 ELISA planned for later in the year.

Globally recognised as a symbol of design excellence, the iF design awards celebrate the best in user-focused, ergonomic and efficient design. With over 5000 submissions from 70 countries, Olympus Scientific Solutions has received two of these prestigious awards for its CX23 upright microscope and FLUOVIEW FV3000 confocal laser scanning microscope.

The rise of antibiotic resistance is at the heart of a new BBC drama, written by Val McDermid and shaped by scientific expertise from the University of Warwick. Airing on BBC Radio 4 this month (3, 10 and 17 March, 2.15 pm), Resistance is a three-part story about an epidemic of a drug-resistant disease.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), Sakura Finetek and other partners have opened a state-of-the-art histopathology laboratory in Butaro, Rwanda, providing patients in resource-limited areas of the country with access to rapid cancer diagnostics and appropriate care and treatment.

The Cancer Research Technology (CRT) Pioneer Fund has invested in the development of a promising new class of drugs for blood cancer. The funding will support Cancer Research UK scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, who are designing the drugs, to treat patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (pictured), a subtype of non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London, are taking advantage of the single-cell encapsulation capabilities of Dolomite Bio’s Single Cell RNASeq system to investigate resistance mechanisms in prostate cancer. Karolina Nowakowska, a PhD student at ICR, explained: “Our team is focused on studying treatment resistance in prostate cancer patients, looking at the biochemical mechanisms responsible. My project is based on using single-cell sequencing to help identify the specific genes which lead to treatment resistance, trying to identify biomarkers and, in the longer term, treatments that will allow a more personalised approach to therapy.”

Researchers from the Harold C Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that high expression of a gene called SHOX2 predicts poor survival in intermediate grade gliomas. This potential biomarker for glioma, a common type of brain cancer, could help clinicians determine how aggressive a cancer is, and help to determine the best course of treatment.

The shape of bacteria does not influence how well they can move. This is the surprising finding of new research which could have major implications for the future of the scientific and medical industries. Published in Nature’s new Ecology & Evolution journal, the results refute long-held theories that there should be a strong link between the evolution of shape in bacteria and their ability to move.

Beckman Coulter has appointed Ed Harris as its new product manager for IT in Northern Europe. As a product expert with a passion for healthcare and a vision of the benefits that IT can bring to patient outcomes through enhanced efficiencies, Ed is responsible for overseeing Beckman Coulter’s clinical information systems portfolio. He will also drive the company’s IT strategy and product innovation in order to advance healthcare for all stakeholders. In particular, he will ensure the effective support of clinical laboratory managers in their drive for efficiency and quality.

Recently, pathologists and laboratory scientists came together to celebrate another National Pathology Week (NPW), during which they staged events to increase awareness and improve the public understanding of pathology.

Test equipment specialist Testo has supplied its Saveris 2 temperature and humidity data logging system to Stansted Laboratories’ facility in Barking, East London. Stansted Laboratories is a UKAS-accredited laboratory of 20 staff analysing over 50,000 samples a year in a purpose built facility. It specialises in microbiological analysis of water and air, and especially Legionella testing of water and drinking water bacteriological analysis.

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.