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Laboratory medicine news
Human-to-human hantavirus spread confirmed on cruise ship
In April 2026, an outbreak of severe respiratory infections, presenting as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), was detected aboard the cruise ship M/V Hondius, which had left Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1. Analyses conducted ...
20 hours ago
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Early changes linked to ovarian cancer may leave a trace in the blood—new study
The most common type of ovarian cancer tends to grow quickly. It's called high-grade serous ovarian cancer and often starts in a fallopian tube, one of the tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries toward the uterus.
16 hours ago
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Women's health research highlights the role of molecular testing in precision medicine
Molecular diagnostic approaches are expanding what information is available for clinicians and laboratory professionals, including uncovering antimicrobial resistance, identifying pathogens missed by conventional methods, ...
21 hours ago
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Experimental blood test detects early breast cancer and predicts recurrence
One of the great hopes of cancer medicine over the past decade has been a simple blood test that would detect cancer at its earliest stages, help physicians choose the right treatment and even predict the risk of recurrence. ...
Nov 12, 2026
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Once considered junk, cellular 'chimeras' emerge as key to better cancer care
UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have found an answer to one of the great mysteries of human biology, and the discovery could have major implications for the battle against breast cancer and other diseases.
Nov 12, 2026
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First complete genomes for neglected malaria parasites revealed
Scientists have produced gold-standard reference genomes for previously neglected malaria parasites by sequencing low-input DNA directly from patient blood, bypassing lab culture.
Nov 12, 2026
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Tuberculosis rapid test allows in-the-field results
Northwestern University engineers have developed a new way to quickly test for tuberculosis that avoids several pitfalls of other methods.
Nov 12, 2026
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Unusual pathogen: Fatal viral infection identified during advanced cancer immunotherapy
Modern immunotherapy may leave patients vulnerable to rare and potentially severe infections, according to a case study by researchers at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) and the Leibniz Institute of ...
Nov 12, 2026
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Smelling Parkinson's: From discovery to skin swab test
A retired nurse who noticed that people with Parkinson's had a distinct odor inspired Manchester scientists to explore changes in molecules on the skin's surface. Using a simple skin swab, they can detect about 15,000 molecular ...
Nov 12, 2026
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AI used to better predict kidney stone composition
Mayo Clinic researchers developed and tested an artificial intelligence (AI) model that used results from a standard 24-hour urine test to predict kidney stone composition more accurately than a conventional urine-based calculation. ...
Nov 12, 2026
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Lighting up heart disease without antibodies: Researchers design low-cost blood test for resource-poor clinics
Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year, devastating children and young adults in low- and middle-income countries where access to specialized ultrasound equipment and refrigerated testing ...
Nov 11, 2026
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Training AI to see cells in context improves detection in pathology images
Artificial intelligence can help identify cells in digital pathology images, but densely packed tissue remains a challenge: neighboring cells may be merged, counted twice or missed entirely. Researchers at Koç University ...
Nov 11, 2026
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New biomarker may extend detection window for date-rape drug GHB
Every hour is critical when it comes to detecting the use of drugs used to render victims unconscious. The substance GHB, which is commonly used in this way, is excreted rapidly from blood and urine. Researchers at the University ...
Nov 10, 2026
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Three-week Arctic operation shows blood products can survive harsh transport conditions and remain transfusion-ready
Getting blood products for transfusions to a battlefield in Canada's High Arctic is feasible but complex, according to newly published research in the journal Transfusion.
Nov 10, 2026
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Researchers detect signs of neuronal damage in the earliest stage of Huntington's disease
Before motor or cognitive impairments appear and before brain volume loss becomes evident, some individuals carrying the genetic mutation that causes Huntington's disease already show signs of neuronal injury. This is demonstrated ...
Nov 10, 2026
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What are biomarkers? How doctors assess health and pooling people's cells reveals new markers—a biologist explains
A family of five is exposed to the flu virus, but only two of them get sick. A lifelong chain-smoker lives 100 years, while a professional athlete in their prime dies of an unexpected heart attack. A drug fails a clinical ...
Nov 10, 2026
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Portable test detects Zika and hepatitis C in hours without lab-grade equipment
A new protocol detects RNA viruses such as Zika and hepatitis C without traditional medical laboratory equipment. Requiring only a handheld reader and a portable heater, it has the potential to bring rapid testing to low-income ...
Nov 9, 2026
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Blood protein panel outperforms leading ALS biomarker in distinguishing patients from healthy individuals
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have identified 10 blood proteins that, when analyzed together, can distinguish people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from healthy individuals with nearly 98% balanced ...
Nov 6, 2026
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New blood count ranges could prevent unnecessary testing for people with Duffy-null trait
The American Society of Hematology has developed new reference ranges for children and adults with Duffy-null status, a common genetic trait associated with naturally lower circulating white blood cell counts that affects ...
Nov 5, 2026
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Lower immunity after lockdown likely impacted outbreak of deadly strep A infections
Researchers studying the winter 2022/2023 outbreak of group A streptococcus infections in Scotland have found strong evidence that the outbreak was not caused by a new virulent strain of the bacteria, but was likely the result ...
Nov 5, 2026
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EARLY-PREG enables day-by-day tracking of thousands of proteins in the female reproductive tract
A study by MELISA Institute, published in Scientific Reports, shows how researchers can track thousands of proteins in cervicovaginal fluid over seven consecutive days. By analyzing samples collected daily from the same women, ...
Nov 5, 2026
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HIV prevention medication is highly effective, but it can complicate blood donor screening
Taking medicine to prevent HIV might seem a good reason to feel confident about being able or eligible to give blood. Yet people taking pre-exposure prophylaxis, known as PrEP, cannot donate while using it and must wait for ...
Nov 5, 2026
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How a CRISPR sickle cell therapy moved from lab to clinical trial
A UCLA-led team has described how it advanced an experimental CRISPR approach for sickle cell disease into a blood stem cell therapy that can be manufactured at the scale and quality required for a clinical trial.
Nov 4, 2026
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AI system may help clinical labs spot problems before they affect patients
Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have designed an AI system that could help clinical laboratories identify problems before they disrupt testing and delay patient care. These laboratories analyze samples such as blood, urine, ...
Nov 3, 2026
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In the future, a blood test may be able to replace a biopsy
Doctors often have to take a tissue sample to understand what is happening inside a tumor or another affected organ. Biomedical scientist Danilo Mladenović is working to find the same information from a blood sample. Research ...
Nov 3, 2026
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