Recent Patents on Biomarkers (Discontinued) - Volume 1, Issue 1, 2011

Ovarian cancer is responsible for the highest fatality rate among the gynecologic malignancies, and there is a great urgency in defining screening tests for its early detection. Presently, CA125 is the only serum marker recommended for early detection (in combination with transvaginal ultrasonography) in hereditary syndromes and for differential diagnosis in suspicious pelvic mass. However, given the complexity of the Read More

During the last decade, complex methodologies have been developed in order to identify patterns of biomarkers with clinical relevance. It is commonly agreed that in early diagnosis, due to the complex nature of the neoplastic process, a single analyte cannot provide information regarding the complex array of cellular physiological status during the outcome of a disease. A proteomic/genomic pattern composed of Read More

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis in humans and animals. It is a major cause of pain and disability and has significant consequences for public health. The burden of OA is expected to increase with ageing of the population and the present obesity epidemic. Therefore, there is an acute need for reliable biomarkers that can facilitate earlier diagnosis of OA, and inform the prognosis, monitorin Read More

Long-term exposure to environmental pollution has been associated with an increased incidence of diabetes. In addition, environmental pollution has been associated with higher relative risk of mortality among people with diabetes compared to the general population. An association between exposure to air pollution and markers of cardiovascular risk has been shown including decreased heart rate variability, and increased le Read More

Acute kidney injury (AKI) causes increased morbidity in critically ill children and damage to the kidney, a central mediator of homeostasis in the body, affects survival. The incidence of AKI in pediatrics is significant and despite alarming data, therapeutic interventions have failed to affect a meaningful difference in outcomes. In this review, we will discuss the epidemiology of AKI in pediatrics, treatment strategies attempted t Read More

Seventy-five percent of all cases of renal cell carcinoma have clear cell histology (CCRCC). In CCRCC alterations of the promoter of the VHL gene are the defining somatic genetic event. The high vascularity of RCC suggests a fundamental role of angiogenesis to its pathogenesis and is deeply associated with proliferation and metastasis. Many HIF-α target genes appear to be involved in these pathways, targeting VEGF and resu Read More

Chronic mitral valvular insufficiency (CMVI) is probably the most common cause of congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs. Although, recent advances in veterinary diagnostic imaging technology have enabled us to detect CHF earlier and more accurately, the accuracy and reliability of this technology heavily hinders on the experience and skill of the operator. Assays for cardiac biomarkers are a reliable method for the Read More

γδ T cells have several innate cell-like features that allow their early activation following recognition of conserved stress-induced ligands. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells, the dominant subset of γδ T cell in human peripheral blood, recognize phosphoantigens such as isopentenyl pyrophosphate generated in the mevalonate pathway. Upon activation, γδ cells display strong cytotoxicity towards various hemopoietic and nonhemopoietic tumors. Syn Read More

An early detection of cancer may provide the best eradicable treatment, hence, detection methods play a crucial role in cancer treatment. This article describes the role of chromatography for the separation and identification of breast cancer biomarkers. Biomarkers provide an assessment of prognosis, monitoring the effectiveness of therapy and predicting cancer reoccurrence. The important biomarkers of breast cancer d Read More

The recent patents annotated in this section have been selected from various patent databases, and are relevant to the articles published in this journal issue. The patents are categorized in fast emerging patent biomarker applications e.g. discovery and validation in drug discovery, clinical development and molecular diagnostics, bioinformatics, preclinical biomarker discovery, personalized medicine, translational biomarker Read More