Biomarkers – Multimedia

Dario Marchetti, Professor/Director, Baylor College of Medicine, speaking at CellTech 2013.

The main objective of this work was to develop a surface chemistry which maintains protein function and orientation per unit surface area, regardless of the surface used.

PSVue® offers a robust alternative to probes currently used by researchers to detect early-to-mid stage apoptosis, as well as bacterial infections.

The characterization of autoimmune disease-specific biomarkers are of primary importance for the development of diagnostic tools and the comprehension of pathogenetic mechanisms leading to autoimmunity. To this aim a protein microarray was employed to analyze serum samples from patients with autoimmune hepatitis (e.g. AIH & PBC) and of healthy as controls. A panel of autoantigens able to discriminate among the groups of patients was identified for potential use as biomarkers.

Peripheral blood is widely used as starting material for biomarker discovery and validation using molecular biology technologies. The vast majority of currently published transcriptome data is based on RNA derived either from stabilized whole blood or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Here, gene expression profiling studies and SOPs for fast, easy and specific manual or automated isolation of monocytes directly from whole blood are being described.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most frequent cause of cancer deaths in Australia. Even after resection up to 50% of patients relapse. In an attempt to prevent recurrences chemotherapy is administered to high risk patients. However, as few as 10-20% patients genuinely benefit because the clinical course for individuals with CRC remains difficult to predict, largely due to prognostically heterogeneous groups within same-stage tumour categories.

Aim of the study: 1. To develop a specific, sensitive, quantitative, and fast method for detection of hTERT methylation 2. To explore its use as a cancer biomarker in the diagnosis of metastatic tumors in CSF.

Using a standardized method to acquire MALDI-TOF proteome profile spectra of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), we have shown the upregulation of histatin 3 and calgranulin C in a small pilot cohort of NSCLC patients. This pilot study serves to demonstrate that it is feasible to screen a larger NSCLC patient cohort for BALF proteome level biomarkers in a clinical setting.

The evidence for an association between autoimmune diseases and chronic HCV infection has been clearly established. To this aim, a protein array was employed to analyze serum samples of HCV patients w/wo autoimmune complications, of patients with autoimmune hepatitis but not infected with HCV and of healthy donors as controls. A panel of autoantigens able to discriminate among the three groups of patients was identified for potential use as biomarkers.

dPCR is achieved by sample partitioning prior to PCR amplification such that each reaction chamber contains one copy or less of target DNA. This dilution becomes the limiting factor and an accurate target molecule count is achievable. This study evaluates dPCR’s quantitative capabilities and investigates parameters influencing copy number quantification, using the Fluidigm Biomark instrument. Biomark technology combines dPCR theory with a microfluidics platform.