We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Combating Infectious Diseases Key Focus of AACC

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 03 Aug 2017

At the 69th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, the world’s largest exposition for clinical laboratory products and services, over 750 exhibitors displayed pioneering diagnostic technology, including the latest in mobile health, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, point-of-care, and automation, with the focus being largely on speed and effectiveness in infectious disease detection.

According to Kalorama Information, (New York, NY, USA), an independent medical market research firm, diseases caused by infection are among the largest and most competitive markets for in vitro diagnostics (IVD) instruments, kits and reagents. The 2017 AACC Clinical Lab Expo held at the San Diego Convention Center from July 30–August 3, saw important product announcements for early and accurate detection for the treatment of infectious diseases.

Some of the product announcements at the event included a new method for detecting 5 gram-negative bacteria using genoproteomic peptide marker analysis on a combined MS/LC system. Additionally, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics showcased its Vitros Immunodiagnostic Products human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) combo assay for use on the Vitros 3600 immunodiagnostic system. A fourth-generation HIV assay, the Vitros HIV combo is designed to detect acute HIV-1 infection earlier than previous generations of HIV assays.

Further, Aalto Bio Reagents, a developer and provider of raw materials to the in- vitro diagnostics industry and to research laboratories globally, announced their first-to-market recombinant Yellow Fever Virus (YFV) protein. Also, Seegene Inc. announced a Random Access System, which can provide order-to-report on the same day by simultaneously performing high multiplex real-time PCR testing on a single platform, regardless of specimen type or assays.

Related Links:
Kalorama Information

Visit expo >

Gold Member

Hybrid Pipette

SWITCH

POC Helicobacter Pylori Test Kit
Hepy Urease Test

Human Estradiol Assay

Human Estradiol CLIA Kit

Automated Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzer

MS-i3080

Latest AACC 2017 News

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel

New Blood Test Index Offers Earlier Detection of Liver Scarring

Metabolic fatty liver disease is highly prevalent and often silent, yet it can progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver failure. Current first-line blood test scores frequently return indeterminate results,... Read more

Image: One of 32 sensors in the electronic nose (Photo courtesy of Linköping University)

Electronic Nose Smells Early Signs of Ovarian Cancer in Blood

Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage because its symptoms are vague and resemble those of more common conditions. Unlike breast cancer, there is currently no reliable screening method, and... Read more

Simple Blood Test Offers New Path to Alzheimer’s Assessment in Primary Care

Timely evaluation of cognitive symptoms in primary care is often limited by restricted access to specialized diagnostics and invasive confirmatory procedures. Clinicians need accessible tools to determine... Read more

Existing Hospital Analyzers Can Identify Fake Liquid Medical Products

Counterfeit and substandard medicines remain a serious global health threat, with World Health Organization estimates suggesting that 10.5% of medicines in low- and middle-income countries are either fake... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel

Swab Test Helps Transplant Patients Receive Right Anti-Rejection Medication Dose

Tacrolimus is widely used to prevent organ rejection in transplant recipients, but achieving the correct dose early is critical. If levels are too low, the transplanted organ may be rejected; if too high,... Read more

Image: Pooja Ghatalia, MD, an Associate Professor in the Department of Hematology/Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center (Photo courtesy of Fox Chase Cancer Center)

Blood Test Predicts Which Bladder Cancer Patients May Safely Skip Surgery

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) often requires removal of the bladder, a procedure that significantly affects quality of life and carries a risk of complications. While newer treatments have improved... Read more

Image: Senior author Christopher Hourigan (left) and first author Rasha Al-Ali of Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute found that a highly sensitive DNA-based test may help doctors predict which patients with AML are most likely to relapse (Photo courtesy of Lena Ayuk/Virginia Tech)

Ultra-Sensitive DNA Test Identifies Relapse Risk in Aggressive Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a rare but aggressive blood cancer in which relapse after allogeneic stem cell transplant remains a major clinical challenge, particularly for patients with NPM1-mutated disease.... Read more

Image: Distinct blood-based metabolic patterns can differentiate gallbladder cancer cases with and without gallstones (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Blood Test Could Help Detect Gallbladder Cancer Earlier

Gallbladder cancer is one of the deadliest gastrointestinal cancers because it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage when treatment options are limited. Early symptoms are minimal, and current screening... Read more

Hematology

view channel

$Image: Hemex Health’s Gazelle platform is designed to rapidly separate and detect hemoglobin fractions and variants using miniaturized electrophoresis technology (photo courtesy of Hemex Health)$

Rapid Cartridge-Based Test Aims to Expand Access to Hemoglobin Disorder Diagnosis

Sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia are hemoglobin disorders that often require referral to specialized laboratories for definitive diagnosis, delaying results for patients and clinicians.... Read more

New Guidelines Aim to Improve AL Amyloidosis Diagnosis

Light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare, life-threatening bone marrow disorder in which abnormal amyloid proteins accumulate in organs. Approximately 3,260 people in the United States are diagnosed... Read more

Image: The new device can fit in the palm and is capable of measuring the quality of red blood cells (Photo courtesy of Xiaoyun Ding)

Fast and Easy Test Could Revolutionize Blood Transfusions

Blood transfusions are a cornerstone of modern medicine, yet red blood cells can deteriorate quietly while sitting in cold storage for weeks. Although blood units have a fixed expiration date, cells from... Read more

Automated Hemostasis System Helps Labs of All Sizes Optimize Workflow

High-volume hemostasis sections must sustain rapid turnaround while managing reruns and reflex testing. Manual tube handling and preanalytical checks can strain staff time and increase opportunities for error.... Read more

Immunology

view channel

New Biomarker Predicts Chemotherapy Response in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer in which patients often show widely varying responses to chemotherapy. Predicting who will benefit from treatment remains challenging,... Read more

Blood Test Identifies Lung Cancer Patients Who Can Benefit from Immunotherapy Drug

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive disease with limited treatment options, and even newly approved immunotherapies do not benefit all patients. While immunotherapy can extend survival for some,... Read more

Whole-Genome Sequencing Approach Identifies Cancer Patients Benefitting From PARP-Inhibitor Treatment

Targeted cancer therapies such as PARP inhibitors can be highly effective, but only for patients whose tumors carry specific DNA repair defects. Identifying these patients accurately remains challenging,... Read more

Ultrasensitive Liquid Biopsy Demonstrates Efficacy in Predicting Immunotherapy Response

Immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment, but only a small proportion of patients experience lasting benefit, with response rates often remaining between 10% and 20%. Clinicians currently lack reliable... Read more

Microbiology

view channel

Blood-Based Viral Signature Identified in Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory intestinal disorder affecting approximately 0.4% of the European population, with symptoms and progression that vary widely. Although viral components of the microbiome... Read more

Image: The findings suggest that interactions between gut bacteria and the viruses they harbor may contribute to colorectal cancer development (photo courtesy of Adobe Stock)

Hidden Gut Viruses Linked to Colorectal Cancer Risk

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of cancer mortality in many Western countries, and existing risk-stratification approaches leave substantial room for improvement. Although age, diet, and... Read more

Three-Test Panel Launched for Detection of Liver Fluke Infections

Parasitic liver fluke infections remain endemic in parts of Asia, where transmission commonly occurs through consumption of raw freshwater fish or aquatic plants. Chronic infection is a well-established... Read more

Image: NG-TEST Candida auris is the first lateral-flow immunoassay specifically designed to identify C. auris from cultured specimens within 15 minutes (Photo courtesy of NG Biotech)

Rapid Test Promises Faster Answers for Drug-Resistant Infections

Drug-resistant pathogens continue to pose a growing threat in healthcare facilities, where delayed detection can impede outbreak control and increase mortality. Candida auris is notoriously difficult to... Read more

Pathology

view channel

Molecular Imaging to Reduce Need for Melanoma Biopsies

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and accounts for the vast majority of skin cancer-related deaths. Because early melanomas can closely resemble benign moles, clinicians often rely on visual... Read more

Urine Specimen Collection System Improves Diagnostic Accuracy and Efficiency

Urine testing is a critical, non-invasive diagnostic tool used to detect conditions such as pregnancy, urinary tract infections, metabolic disorders, cancer, and kidney disease. However, contaminated or... Read more

Image: The AI-powered 3D cytology platform detects abnormal cells with near-expert accuracy (Photo courtesy of CYBO)

AI-Powered 3D Scanning System Speeds Cancer Screening

Cytology remains a cornerstone of cancer detection, requiring specialists to examine bodily fluids and cells under a microscope. This labor-intensive process involves inspecting up to one million cells... Read more

Image: The innovative classifier can guide treatment for PDAC and other immunotherapy-resistant cancers (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock))

Single Sample Classifier Predicts Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Subtypes in Patient Samples

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest cancers, in part because of its dense tumor microenvironment that influences how tumors grow and respond to treatment.... Read more

Technology

view channel

AI-Driven Diagnostic Demonstrates High Accuracy in Detecting Periprosthetic Joint Infection

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a rare but serious complication affecting 1% to 2% of primary joint replacement surgeries. The condition occurs when bacteria or fungi infect tissues around an implanted... Read more

Image: The model estimates when Alzheimer’s symptoms will begin based on the accumulation of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain (Photo courtesy of Sara Moser/WashU Medicine)

Blood Test “Clocks” Predict Start of Alzheimer’s Symptoms

More than 7 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease, and related health and long-term care costs are projected to reach nearly USD 400 billion in 2025. The disease has no cure, and symptoms often... Read more

mage: The AI-derived MYCN niche score predicts liver cancer risk before tumors form (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock)

AI-Powered Biomarker Predicts Liver Cancer Risk

Liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma, causes more than 800,000 deaths worldwide each year and often goes undetected until late stages. Even after treatment, recurrence rates reach 70% to 80%, contributing... Read more

Image: Vitestro has shared a detailed visual explanation of its Autonomous Robotic Phlebotomy Device (photo courtesy of Vitestro)

Robotic Technology Unveiled for Automated Diagnostic Blood Draws

Routine diagnostic blood collection is a high‑volume task that can strain staffing and introduce human‑dependent variability, with downstream implications for sample quality and patient experience.... Read more

Industry

view channel

Cepheid Joins CDC Initiative to Strengthen U.S. Pandemic Testing Preparednesss

Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA) has been selected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as one of four national collaborators in a federal initiative to speed rapid diagnostic technologies... Read more

QuidelOrtho Collaborates with Lifotronic to Expand Global Immunoassay Portfolio

QuidelOrtho (San Diego, CA, USA) has entered a long-term strategic supply agreement with Lifotronic Technology (Shenzhen, China) to expand its global immunoassay portfolio and accelerate customer access... Read more

WHX Labs in Dubai spotlights leadership skills shaping next-generation laboratories

WHX Labs in Dubai (formerly Medlab Middle East), held at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 10–13 February, brings together international experts to discuss the factors redefining laboratory leadership,... Read more

New Collaboration Brings Automated Mass Spectrometry to Routine Laboratory Testing

Mass spectrometry is a powerful analytical technique that identifies and quantifies molecules based on their mass and electrical charge. Its high selectivity, sensitivity, and accuracy make it indispensable... Read more