MCL

Loralie Langman, Ph.D., explains the difference between chain of custody and clinical toxicology testing. Chain of custody is a process used for toxicology testing when the results might have legal implications for the individual tested. Clinical toxicology testing is used for routine medical care. Mayo Clinic Laboratories offers a full range of clinical and forensic toxicology testing.

In this episode of “Lab Medicine Rounds,” Justin Kreuter, M.D., sits down with Matt Binnicker, Ph.D., director of Clinical Virology and vice chair of practice in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, to discuss the laboratory medicine perspective of Monkeypox.

This list includes updates posted to mayocliniclabs.com during the month of September.

Lisa Brown, quality specialist for Mayo Clinic Laboratories customer service, explains working "behind the scenes" when a client calls Mayo Clinic Laboratories with an inquiry, that call is typically picked up within 20 seconds by an agent from Mayo Laboratory Inquiry (MLI). There are no phone trees or automated menus to wade through before they reach an agent. Agents mind the phones 24/7, 365 days a year.

Katherine Geiersbach, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' PIK3CA assay informs breast cancer treatment. The assay identifies patients eligible for a certain second-line therapy when initial treatment has failed.

By collaborating with Mayo Clinic Laboratories, Morris Hospital & Healthcare Center has been able to expand complex and specialized lab testing in the communities they serve.

In Mayo Clinic’s Advanced Diagnostics Laboratory, there are dozens of projects underway at once to develop new technologies, discover novel findings, validate new tests, and support physicians in providing advanced patient care. For example, researchers are using phage immunoprecipitation sequencing (PhIP-Seq) to discover new serological biomarkers for autoimmune diseases. In a recent study using PhIP-Seq, Mayo Clinic researchers discovered a previously unknown antibody marker for immune-mediated rippling muscle disease (iRMD). This finding will support testing options and accurate diagnosis of iRMD, helping physicians treat patients with iRMD and restore their quality of life.

Paul Jannetto, Ph.D., describes Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new direct biomarker test for alcohol consumption. PETH is a blood test with a window of detection of about two to four weeks — compared with five days for urine-based screening for alcohol use.

This "Pathways" program provides Anatomic and Clinical Pathology cases that include a history, potential answers, rationale, and relevant references. Cases for September include the following sub-specialties: Genitourinary Pathology, Gynecological Pathology, and Neuropathology.

Two leaders have been announced to lead Mayo Clinic Laboratories and other diagnostic services in the biopharma and cardiovascular spaces. William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., has been named CEO and president and Mary Jo Williamson has been named chief administrative officer.

Ann Moyer, M.D., Ph.D., and Paul Jannetto, Ph.D., explain how precision therapeutics can improve treatment for patients with major depressive disorder. The optimal antidepressant medication and dose vary among individuals. Pharmacogenomic testing and therapeutic drug monitoring can guide clinicians to the most-effective treatment for each patient.

Kenneth Hobby assumed his fever, fatigue, and aching pains in May 2018 were from another bout of malaria. He was on one of his frequent visits to Zambia in southern Africa, where the mosquito-borne parasite is common. But anti-malaria drugs didn't help, and soon Kenneth had such disabling pain that he could barely walk.

In this episode of “Lab Medicine Rounds,” Justin Kreuter, M.D., sits down with Melanie Bois, M.D., Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, a cardiovascular pathologist, and host of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathologies Podcast, to discuss why you should consider utilizing social media within your practice and how to maximize your efforts.