biomarkers

Astrid Irwanto is the co-founder and COO of NalaGenetics, a company taking a novel, personalized approach to understanding genetic susceptibility to drug reactions in Southeast Asian populations. A PhD in human genetics and postdoctoral research in genetics disease, along with personal experiences, fuel Astrid’s pursuits. In this interview, we discuss NalaGenetics’ approach to pharmacogenomics and why Astrid decided to translate her academic research to a molecular diagnostics company.

As the third most prevalent cancer worldwide, colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant global health burden. Biomarker identification and detection has proven a powerful strategy for improving CRC diagnosis and informing targeted treatment. Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a key biomarker in CRC, and with Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR), MSI can be accurately detected using a wider range of sample types.

Historically, five-year survival rates have been used to evaluate cancer therapeutic effectiveness in clinical trials. But time is critical for research — and for patients. Fortunately, there is a promising method for evaluating cancer therapeutic effectiveness that could potentially offer prognostic insights after just one year. Noninvasive liquid biopsy analysis, including analysis of circulating tumor DNA, is improving researchers’ ability to detect clinical responses more rapidly.

Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide. However, as cancer treatments continue to improve and diagnoses happen sooner, more and more patients are experiencing remission. To further increase survival rates and reduce unnecessary treatment, scientists and clinicians are turning to ultra-sensitive molecular analysis to inform treatment decisions and predict and detect relapse.

Frost & Sullivan, a business consulting firm involved in market research and analysis, conducted a thought leadership forum that brought together experts in the field of immuno-oncology. Follow their discussions about the current state of immunotherapies and the key challenges and future approaches to the targeted use of the immune system in cancer treatment.

Frost & Sullivan, a business consulting firm involved in market research and analysis, conducted a thought leadership forum that brought together experts in the field of CNS biomarkers. Follow their discussions about technological advancements in the field and future implications of the current research and development.

For the past 30 years, there has been one assumed culprit of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) — beta-amyloid. However, researchers have been unsuccessful in developing effective therapies targeting this protein. Understand the history of AD and beta-amyloid and see what other biomarkers are being investigated as potential therapeutic targets.

Ever wonder how football is linked to degenerative brain disease? Find out here. Also, learn about novel biomarkers for traumatic brain injury (TBI), the current state of TBI research, and promising new approaches for developing a robust diagnostic tool. Discover tests currently used to diagnose TBI and read about unusual techniques used to develop reliable biomarkers.

How well do you understand your microbiota? Dr. Allyson Byrd of Genentech, the fourth guest on Brilliant Science, is a bioinformatician focusing on parsing all the data our microbiomes have to offer. Read about the value of analyzing microbiota and how Dr. Byrd hopes to leverage the results.

Small vesicles were identified over 50 years ago but scientists are still trying to understand their biology and role in disease. These vesicles have become relevant for monitoring, diagnosing, and treating complex diseases such as cancer. Yet, because of their small size compared to cells, they require intricate technologies to truly understand their impact in research. Learn about the various technologies used to study small vesicles and discover the power of flow cytometry for learning more about these valuable vesicles.