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.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
PURITAN MEDICAL

Download Mobile App




Simple Test Helps CF Patients Find Best Treatment

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 06 Dec 2017
Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) suffer from abnormal secretions in multiple tissues, including the lungs, pancreas, liver, and intestine, leading to mucus stasis and obstruction. More...
Several cutting-edge treatments have become available in recent years to correct the debilitating chronic lung congestion associated with CF.

People develop CF because they do not have a functioning version of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, but the condition, which involves the buildup of thick, sticky mucus in the lungs, is tied to more than 2,000 genetic mutations. A person's specific combination of mutations affects both the severity of the disease and how well the patient responds to treatment.

A collaborating team of scientists led by those at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (NC, USA) collected nasal epithelial cell from nine control subjects and three CF subjects with known genotypes. Cells from curettage or brushing were processed and propagated. Nasospheroids were fixed in freshly prepared 4% paraformaldehyde in PBS for 10 minutes at room temperature, centrifuged at 25 g, embedded in Richard-Allan Scientific HistoGel, and embedded in paraffin.

Histological sections were viewed on a phase contrast inverted microscope. Immunofluorescent labeling of CFTR was performed and confocal microscopy imaging completed on a FV1000 confocal microscope system with environmental chamber. The results suggest growing nasospheroids from nasal samples could provide a quick screening method to determine how a patient's cells react to different CFTR drugs. This testing approach could offer patients a welcome alternative to rectal biopsy. It might even be more reliable from a screening standpoint because the drugs are able to interact directly with the right parts on the outside of the nasospheroids, rather than having to enter the spheroids as required with the rectal biopsy method.

Martina Gentzsch, PhD, an assistant professor and senior study author, said, “It is a relatively simple procedure that doesn't require any anesthesia and uses a brush that costs a few dollars. The spheroids form quickly in just a few days without much manipulation. It has many advantages, not only because patients should be able to get results really quickly, but also because our model is much more accessible to drugs for testing than the other existing models.” The study was published on November 16, 2017, in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight.

Related Links:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill


Gold Member
Flocked Fiber Swabs
Puritan® Patented HydraFlock®
3-Part Differential Hematology Analyzer
Swelab Alfa Plus Sampler
New
Silver Member
Fibrinolysis Assay
HemosIL Fibrinolysis Assay Panel
New
Automatic Hematology Analyzer
LABAS F9000
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








DIASOURCE (A Biovendor Company)

Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: CitoCBC is the world first cartridge-based CBC to be granted CLIA Waived status by FDA (Photo courtesy of CytoChip)

Disposable Cartridge-Based Test Delivers Rapid and Accurate CBC Results

Complete Blood Count (CBC) is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, crucial for diagnosing diseases, monitoring therapies, and conducting routine health screenings. However, more than 90% of physician... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: An “evolutionary” approach to treating metastatic breast cancer could allow therapy choices to be adapted as patients’ cancer changes (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Evolutionary Clinical Trial to Identify Novel Biomarker-Driven Therapies for Metastatic Breast Cancer

Metastatic breast cancer, which occurs when cancer spreads from the breast to other parts of the body, is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. Nearly 90% of patients with metastatic cancer will... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Researchers Dr. Lee Eun Sook and Dr. Lee Jinhyung examine the imprinting equipment used for nanodisk synthesis (Photo courtesy of KRISS)

Multifunctional Nanomaterial Simultaneously Performs Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment, and Immune Activation

Cancer treatments, including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, have significant limitations. These treatments not only target cancerous areas but also damage healthy tissues, causing side effects... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.