Clinics in Laboratory Medicine RSS feed: Current Issue. Clinics in Laboratory Medicine updates you on the latest trends in clinical laboratory management; keeps you up to date on the newest advances; and provides a sound basis for creating and working in a highly effective clinical laboratory. Each issue focuses on a single topic in pathology and is presented under the direction of a reputed guest editor associated with a major clinical laboratory and academia. http://www.labmed.theclinics.com/?rss=yesElsevier Inc.en © 2012 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Clinics in Laboratory Medicine0272-2712321March 2012 © 2012 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. healthpermissions@elsevier.comhttp://www.labmed.theclinics.com/article/PIIS027227121200011X/abstract?rss=yesContributors10.1016/S0272-2712(12)00011-XClinics in Laboratory Medicine 32, 1 (2012)2012-03-01Clinics in Laboratory Medicine2012-03-01321S0272-2712(11)X0006-9iiiivhttp://www.labmed.theclinics.com/article/PIIS0272271212000121/abstract?rss=yesContents10.1016/S0272-2712(12)00012-1Clinics in Laboratory Medicine 32, 1 (2012)2012-03-01Clinics in Laboratory Medicine2012-03-01321S0272-2712(11)X0006-9vvihttp://www.labmed.theclinics.com/article/PIIS0272271212000133/abstract?rss=yesForthcoming Issues10.1016/S0272-2712(12)00013-3Clinics in Laboratory Medicine 32, 1 (2012)2012-03-01Clinics in Laboratory Medicine2012-03-01321S0272-2712(11)X0006-9viiviihttp://www.labmed.theclinics.com/article/PIIS0272271212000030/abstract?rss=yes Nanobiotechnology has refined molecular diagnosis and extended the limits of detection. This is important for the laboratory diagnosis of cancer as well as for guiding treatment. Several innovations of assays for detection of cancer based on nanobiotechnology are described in this issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicine.Nanobiotechnology-Based Cancer DiagnosisKewal K. Jain10.1016/j.cll.2012.01.002Clinics in Laboratory Medicine 32, 1 (2012)2012-02-03Clinics in Laboratory Medicine2012-02-03321S0272-2712(11)X0006-9ixxhttp://www.labmed.theclinics.com/article/PIIS0272271211000989/abstract?rss=yesCancer is the third leading cause of death after heart disease and stroke in developed countries and the second leading cause of death after heart disease in the United States. It is projected that the number of new cases of all cancers worldwide will be 12.3 million in 2010 and 15.4 million in 2020. More than 1.5 million new cancer cases and about one-half million deaths from cancer are projected to occur in 2010 in the United States alone. Nanotechnology, an interdisciplinary research field involving chemistry, engineering, biology, and medicine, has great potential for early detection, accurate diagnosis, and personalized treatment of cancer. Molecular nanodiagnostics applied to cancer may provide rapid and sensitive detection of cancer-related molecular alterations, which would enable early detection even when those alterations occur only in a small percentage of cells. The use of gold nanoparticles derivatized with thiol-modified oligonucleotides (Au-nanoprobes) for the detection of specific nucleic acid targets has been gaining momentum as an alternative to more traditional methodologies. Nevertheless, few reports exist on application of gold nanoparticles for quantitative assessment of gene expression. Here, the application of Au-nanoprobes for gene expression in cancer is discussed.RNA Quantification with Gold Nanoprobes for Cancer DiagnosticsPedro V. Baptista10.1016/j.cll.2011.09.001Clinics in Laboratory Medicine 32, 1 (2012)2011-10-28Clinics in Laboratory Medicine2011-10-28321S0272-2712(11)X0006-9113http://www.labmed.theclinics.com/article/PIIS0272271211001004/abstract?rss=yesNanodiagnostics is the term used for application of nanobiotechnology for molecular diagnosis, which is important for developing personalized cancer therapy. Personalized medicine is the prescription of specific therapeutics best suited for an individual. It is usually based on pharmacogenetic, pharmacogenomic, and pharmacoproteomic information but also takes into consideration environmental factors that influence response to therapy. Combination of diagnostics with therapeutics, an important feature of personalized cancer therapy, is facilitated by the use of nanobiotechnology. Nanodiagnostic technologies are also being used to refine discovery of biomarkers, as nanoparticles offer advantages of high volume/surface ratio and multifunctionality. Biomarkers are important basic components of personalized medicine and are applicable to management of cancer as well.Role of Nanodiagnostics in Personalized Cancer TherapyKewal K. Jain10.1016/j.cll.2011.10.001Clinics in Laboratory Medicine 32, 1 (2012)2011-12-02Clinics in Laboratory Medicine2011-12-02321S0272-2712(11)X0006-91531http://www.labmed.theclinics.com/article/PIIS0272271211001144/abstract?rss=yesCancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States, accounting for nearly one of every four deaths, exceeded only by heart disease. Cancer is more treatable when diagnosed at the early stage, and this is particularly relevant for cancers of the breast, cervix, mouth, larynx, colon and rectum, and skin. Moreover, cancers of the cervix, colon, and rectum can be prevented by removal of precancerous tissue. There are two major components of early detection of cancer: education to promote early diagnosis and screening.Biomarkers Quantification with Antibody Arrays in Cancer Early DetectionAndrea Gallotta, Enrico Orzes, Giorgio Fassina10.1016/j.cll.2011.11.001Clinics in Laboratory Medicine 32, 1 (2012)2011-12-16Clinics in Laboratory Medicine2011-12-16321S0272-2712(11)X0006-93345http://www.labmed.theclinics.com/article/PIIS0272271211001156/abstract?rss=yesDiagnosis of cancer at an early stage of development is essential for effective treatment to control its progression and reduce the mortality rate. Biomarkers are useful candidates for disease diagnosis, monitoring disease progression, and following prognosis in response to the therapeutic interventions. Over the last decade there has been a growing interest in analysis of various biological fluids to identify panels of protein markers for cancer, leading to the discovery of several potential targets. Despite the sincere efforts from various research groups from all over the world, only a handful of the identified candidates has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, which indicates serious “bottle neck” between the “bench-side” findings and their successful “bed-side” implications. Multiple issues associated with candidate markers, such as very low abundance, ambiguity, lack of specificity, enormous variation among individuals, and paucity of reproducibility, are hindering their successful translation in clinics.Cancer Biomarker Detection by Surface Plasmon Resonance BiosensorsPanga Jaipal Reddy, Sudipta Sadhu, Sandipan Ray, Sanjeeva Srivastava10.1016/j.cll.2011.11.002Clinics in Laboratory Medicine 32, 1 (2012)2011-12-29Clinics in Laboratory Medicine2011-12-29321S0272-2712(11)X0006-94772http://www.labmed.theclinics.com/article/PIIS0272271211001338/abstract?rss=yesGlycans are expected to be one of the potential signal molecules for controlling drug targeting/delivery or long-term circulation of biopharmaceuticals. However, the effect of the carbohydrates of artificially glycosylated derivatives on in vivo dynamic distribution profiles after intravenous injection of model animals remains unexplored because of the lack of standardized methodology and suitable platform. Recently, we established an efficient and versatile method for the preparation of multifunctional quantum dots (QDs) displaying common synthetic glycosides with excellent solubility and long-term stability in aqueous solution without loss of quantum yields. Combined use of an aminooxy-terminated thiol derivative, 11,11'-dithio bis[undec-11-yl 12-(aminooxyacetyl)amino hexa(ethyleneglycol)], and a phosphorylcholine derivative, 11-mercaptoundecylphosphorylcholine, provided QDs with novel functions for the chemical ligation of ketone-functionalized compounds and the prevention of nonspecific protein adsorption concurrently. In vivo near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging of various carbohydrates after administration into the tail vein of the mouse found that distinct long-term delocalization over 2 hours can be achieved in cases of QDs modified with α-sialic acid residue (Neu5Ac-PCSAM-QDs) and control multifunctional quantum dots (PCSAM-QDs) while QDs bearing other common sugars such as α-glucose (Glc-PCSAM-QDs), α-mannose (Man-PCSAM-QDs), α-fucose (Fuc-PCSAM-QDs), lactose (Lac-PCSAM-QDs), β-glucuronic acid (GlcA-PCSAM-QDs), N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc-PCSAM-QDs), and N-acetyl-β-D-galactosamine (GalNAc-PCSAM-QDs) residues accumulated rapidly (5–10 minutes) in the liver. Sequential enzymatic modifications of GlcNAc-PCSAM-QDs gave Galβ1,4GlcNAc-PCSAM-QDs (LacNAc-PCSAM-QDs), Galβ1,4(Fucα1,3)GlcNAc-PCSAM-QDs (Lex-PCSAM-QDs), Neu5Acα2,3Galβ1,4GlcNAc-PCSAM-QDs (sialyl LacNAc-PCSAM-QDs), and Neu5Acα2,3Galβ1,4(Fucα1,3)GlcNAc-PCSAM-QDs (sialyl Lex-PCSAM-QDs) in quantitative yield as monitored by direct Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) analyses. Live animal imaging uncovered for the first time that Lex-PCSAM-QDs also distributed rapidly in the liver after intravenous injection and almost quenched over 1 hour in similar profiles to those of LacNAc-PCSAM-QDs and Lac-PCSAM-QDs. On the other hand, sialyl LacNAc-PCSAM-QDs and sialyl Lex-PCSAM-QDs were still retained stably in whole body after 2 hours, while they showed significantly different in vivo dynamics in the tissue distribution, suggesting that structure/sequence of the neighboring sugar residues in the individual sialyl oligosaccharides might influence the final organ-specific distribution. These results clearly show the evidence of an essential role of the terminal sialic acid residue(s) for achieving prolonged in vivo lifetime and biodistribution of various glyco-PCSAM-QDs as a novel class of functional platforms for nanoparticles-based drug targeting/delivery. A standardized protocol using multifunctional PCSAM-QDs should facilitate live cell/animal imaging of ligand-displayed QDs using versatile NIR fluorescence photometry without influence of size-dependent accumulation/excretion pathway for nanoparticles (eg, viruses) greater than 10 nm in hydrodynamic diameter by the liver.Phosphorylcholine Self-Assembled Monolayer-Coated Quantum Dots: Real-Time Imaging of Live Animals by Cell Surface Mimetic Glyco-NanoparticlesShin-Ichiro Nishimura10.1016/j.cll.2011.12.002Clinics in Laboratory Medicine 32, 1 (2012)2012-02-03Clinics in Laboratory Medicine2012-02-03321S0272-2712(11)X0006-97387http://www.labmed.theclinics.com/article/PIIS0272271212000029/abstract?rss=yesCirculating tumor cells (CTCs) are cells that undergo transitions that promote detachment from a solid tumor and allow them to travel in suspension through the blood and lymph systems to create secondary tumors. Detection of CTCs may allow earlier diagnosis, determine remission and relapse, and monitor response to therapy, as the concentration of CTCs has been shown to correlate with disease state. We have been successful in detecting and capturing pigmented, circulating melanoma cells (CMCs) owing to their natural light-absorbing nature, though cancer cells of other types lack intrinsic color and cannot be detected without the addition of extrinsic optical absorbers. We investigated nonpigmented CTC detection using antibody-targeted gold nanoparticles in a breast cancer cell line, T47D (). The specific targeting of gold nanoparticles to breast cancer cells allowed us to repeat our earlier success with melanoma by detection of these cells in suspension in our photoacoustic flowmeter.Gold Nanoparticle–Mediated Detection of Circulating Cancer CellsKiran Bhattacharyya, Benjamin S. Goldschmidt, Mark Hannink, Stephen Alexander, Aleksander Jurkevic, John A. Viator10.1016/j.cll.2012.01.001Clinics in Laboratory Medicine 32, 1 (2012)2012-03-01Clinics in Laboratory Medicine2012-03-01321S0272-2712(11)X0006-989101http://www.labmed.theclinics.com/article/PIIS0272271212000145/abstract?rss=yesIndex10.1016/S0272-2712(12)00014-5Clinics in Laboratory Medicine 32, 1 (2012)2012-03-01Clinics in Laboratory Medicine2012-03-01321S0272-2712(11)X0006-9103109