Latest news with #diagnostic
BBC News
6 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Chronic fatigue is not in your head, it's in your blood
People with ME and chronic fatigue syndrome have major differences in their blood compared with healthy individuals, experts have of Edinburgh researchers said their findings could pave the way for a "game-changer" diagnostic Chris Ponting said: "For so long people with ME/CFS have been told it's all in their head. It's not. We see it in their blood."The study used data from the UK Biobank – a health database of over half a million people – to compare 1,455 ME/CFS patients with 131,000 healthy individuals. The research showed the results were mostly unaffected by activity university team said the volume and consistency of the blood differences support their long-term goal of developing a diagnostic blood Dr Sjoerd Beentjes told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland: "One thing that our evidence points at is that ME is very much a condition in the blood."Perhaps previously held perspectives are not quite the case."It is really not due to inactivity and we hope that this helps with problems where individuals are disbelieved of their symptoms." What are the symptoms of ME? The largest ever biological study of ME/CFS - which is estimated to affect 50,000 people in Scotland - identified consistent blood differences associated with chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and liver main feature of the condition is post-exertional malaise (PEM) - a delayed and dramatic worsening of fatigue that comes after minor physical symptoms include pain, brain fog and tiredness that does not improve with rest. Causes are unknown and there is currently no diagnostic test or Beentjes also said ME was a "female bias" condition with the ratio of patients estimated to be 3:1. The Edinburgh researchers examined more than 3,000 blood-based biomarkers and accounted for differences in age, sex, and activity results were replicated afterwards using data from the US Prof Chris Ponting, of the university's MRC human genetics unit, said: "For so long people with ME/CFS have been told it's all in their head. "It's not. We see people's ME/CFS in their said the evidence should "dispel any lingering perception that ME/CFS is caused by deconditioning and exercise intolerance".
Khaleej Times
7 days ago
- Health
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Disease testing in 10 minutes? Abu Dhabi scientists develop affordable tool
A team of scientists at New York University Abu Dhabi has developed a paper-based diagnostic device that can detect infectious diseases in under 10 minutes. The Radially Compartmentalised Paper Chip (RCP-Chip) offers a fast, affordable, and portable solution for on-site screening of infectious diseases without the need for sophisticated lab equipment or trained personnel. Conceived during the early days of the Covid pandemic, the RCP-Chip was designed to address the urgent global need for efficient testing in low-resource and remote settings. 'Our goal was to create something fast, affordable, and easy to use, especially in areas where lab access is limited,' said Mohammad A. Qasaimeh, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering at NYUAD and the senior author of the study. Beyond Covid-19, the chip is easily reconfigurable to test for other viruses and bacteria which causes diseases like chickenpox, dengue and malaria. 'With minor modifications, it can be adapted to diagnose a wide range of diseases or even test hormones and metabolites,' he explained. 'What makes it truly impactful is its real-world potential,' said Pavithra Sukumar, NYUAD Research Assistant and co-first author. 'This portable test could significantly improve outbreak response by enabling faster isolation, treatment, and control.' How it works According to Qasaimeh, the handheld device can be mass-produced and utilised in places where resources are limited. 'It requires minimal number of reagents and sample to run,' he said. 'It needs a heating stage which is around 60 degrees Celsius. This can be achieved by means of a hot plate or an oven. These are commonly founded devices everywhere.' It uses saliva instead of swabs and can be sent to any area very quickly. 'In a short amount of time, you can deploy it for use,' he said. 'That was our other motivation when we were developing it.' Qasaimeh added that it took the team approximately two years to develop due to pandemic-related lab access restrictions. 'In the initial phase, we focused on designing the chip and brainstorming the approaches,' he said. 'After initial curfews, gradually they allowed us to have access to the labs. That is when we started testing the device and deepened the research.' The team has filed a patent and launched a startup to pursue commercialisation, with interest already shown by biotech firms. 'We aim to find investors so that we can continue with the development stage of the device, but this time with its translational potential,' said Qasaimeh. 'This is so that the device is ready to deploy in the markets for different purposes. This device can be modified to be used for other situations as well.'
Independent Singapore
03-06-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Cheaper brain cancer test provides more accurate results in just 2 hours
UK: A cheaper and faster brain cancer test developed by UK researchers can now identify the type of brain tumour in just two hours, offering more accurate results than current methods, PA Media reported. Patients typically wait six to eight weeks to determine the type of brain tumour they have, as samples are sent to central laboratories for genetic analysis. Experts said this long wait can be 'traumatic' and delay treatment like chemotherapy or radiotherapy. With the new test, diagnostic results can be ready in under two hours after surgery, with detailed tumour classifications available within minutes of sequencing. Researchers from the University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) have developed a new method called ROBIN, short for rapid nanopore brain intraoperative classification, which assesses the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from a tumour sample. The test was applied to 50 patients and was in concordance with the standard of care in 90% of cases, according to findings published in Neuro-Oncology . Dr. Matt Loose, a professor of developmental and computational biology at the University of Nottingham, developed a method to sequence specific parts of human DNA using portable sequencing devices from Oxford Nanopore Technologies, which offers real-time analysis. Now, the team has used it to test brain tumour samples genetically. NUH neurosurgeon Dr Stuart Smith said, 'Patients find waiting many weeks for results extremely difficult and this adds to the anxiety and worry at what is already a very difficult time.' Meanwhile, NUH consultant neuropathologist Dr Simon Paine said that the method will be a 'game changer,' pointing to the speed at which results will be available and the degree of accuracy of the diagnosis. Dr. Simon Newman, Chief Scientific Officer of The Brain Tumour Charity, added that the new method will be 'transformative for all patients' as it ensures rapid access to an optimal standard of care and, crucially, removes the uncertainty patients face in waiting weeks for their diagnosis and prognosis. /TISG Read also: New white paper warns of the cost of inaction on youth mental health across APAC
Emirates 24/7
02-06-2025
- Health
- Emirates 24/7
NYU Abu Dhabi researchers develop paper-based diagnostic tool for infectious disease detection
A team of scientists at NYU Abu Dhabi has developed a breakthrough paper-based diagnostic device that can detect COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in under 10 minutes, without the need for sophisticated lab equipment or trained personnel. The Radially Compartmentalized Paper Chip (RCP-Chip), engineered by researchers at the Advanced Microfluidics and Microdevices Laboratory (AMMLab), offers a fast, affordable, and portable solution for on-site screening of infectious diseases. The RCP-Chip has been developed to detect even minute traces of viral genetic material using a droplet of fluid and a visible color change. It operates without electricity or special equipment, needing just a source of mild heat at around 65°C, similar to the temperature of warm water. The research is detailed in a paper titled Single-Layer Radially Compartmentalized Paper Chip (RCP-Chip) for Rapid Isothermal Multiplex Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Gene Targets, published in the journal Advanced Sensor Research. The study reports the development and validation of the RCP-Chip as a rapid, multiplexed diagnostic platform for infectious disease detection suitable for low-resource settings. NYUAD Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering and senior author Mohammad A. Qasaimeh said, 'The RCP-Chip is designed for real-world impact. It can be reconfigured to detect other infectious diseases, making it a powerful tool for global health.' 'This is a fast, affordable, lab-free test that detects multiple gene targets in under 10 minutes,' said NYUAD Research Assistant and co-first author of the study Pavithra Sukumar. 'What makes it truly impactful is its real-world potential. This portable test could significantly improve outbreak response by enabling faster isolation, treatment, and control.' Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
