Melissa BuschMicrobiologyLab system reveals oral superorganisms with unique mobility that may threaten teethOral bacteria and fungi team up, creating cavity-causing “superorganisms” that lead to more tooth decay, according to a study.October 12, 2022Molecular DiagnosticsFDA warns of risk of false results from genetic prenatal testsAlso called noninvasive prenatal testing or tests (NIPTs), these screening tests can determine the risk of a fetus having certain genetic abnormalities, which could result in a child being born with a serious health condition. However, since they are not diagnostic tests, they cannot confirm or rule out a suspected genetic abnormality, the FDA said in an April 19 bulletin.April 19, 2022AgreementProscia, Siemens ink digital pathology dealUnder the deal, Siemens Healthineers will expand its enterprise imaging offering into the global digital pathology market using Proscia’s Concentriq Dx platform. The agreement with Proscia enables Siemens Healthineers to expand into one of the few remaining areas of healthcare that is left to begin experiencing the full benefits of digitization.March 16, 2022Laboratory Information Systems (LIS)Labs need to improve functionality, security of LISAchieving operational efficiencies throughout the lab is integral for diagnostic providers, requiring an LIS infrastructure that is functional, reliable, interoperable, and highly secure. As the U.S. moves toward an endemic approach to infectious disease, which will continue to drive testing, these survey results highlight significant shortcomings, the company said.February 27, 2022KickbackBogus testing kickback scheme results in guilty pleaElizabeth Turner, the owner of Advanced Tele-Genetic Counseling, pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud conspiracy in the U.S. District Court in Nashville. Her company received approximately $234,730 in illegal kickback payments, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Middle District of Tennessee.December 21, 2021Gastric CancerCancer diagnoses still lower a year into COVID-19 pandemicFor a four-month period ending March 2021, the rate of cancer diagnosis was 19% lower than before the pandemic for eight common cancers, according to the study, which was completed by researchers from clinical lab operator Quest Diagnostics. While this represented an improvement over the first four months of the pandemic, the cancer diagnosis rate was still much lower than what might otherwise be expected.August 31, 2021Blood ClotsGenetic testing cut adverse events in heart patientsPatients often will be prescribed the blood thinner clopidogrel to prevent blood clots after undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention procedures, which can irritate blood vessels and cause clots.August 26, 2020SequencingAI-based test diagnoses dental infection-related brain abscessThe algorithm-based pathogenic sequencing technique, which provides quicker, more precise results than traditional lab bacterial cultures, showed that several types of bacteria that can colonize the oral cavity were found in the 53-year-old woman's brain and spinal cord fluid. She was diagnosed with ventricular and spinal canal empyema, which is rarely seen today due to medical advances.August 20, 2020PCRPoor oral care may affect the accuracy of COVID-19 testsPatients who didn't brush or rinse their teeth may have allowed noninfectious viral nucleic acid to build up, resulting in prolonged viral shedding. On average, those who didn't keep their oral cavities clean continued to shed the virus for an additional two weeks and resulted in more positive real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, the authors wrote.August 3, 2020COVID-19Throat samples may detect SARS-CoV-2 better than nasal specimensThe researchers compared nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) of nasal swab samples versus oropharyngeal secretions and found a higher risk for sending home patients who still had the coronavirus infection with the nasal specimens.July 9, 2020Page 1 of 2Next PageTop StoriesNeurodegenerative DiseaseCND Life Sciences, Beth Israel sign agreement on skin-based testing technology for neurodegenerative diseasesThe agreement with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center aims to solidify important technology for CND’s Syn-One Test, a skin-based test that aids the diagnosis of synucleinopathies, a family of neurodegenerative disorders.Product LaunchQuest launches long-COVID testing panels for consumersAlzheimer'sRoche, Lilly partner on early diagnosis of Alzheimer's diseaseCandidiasisContagious fungal infections increase dramaticallyLiquid BiopsyGuardant Health, Ohio State University study colorectal cancer screening adherence