Stories

In her role as a laboratory technologist resource coordinator, Amy Nelson has to be prepared to handle whatever questions, concerns or issues come her way from Mayo Clinic Laboratories' clients. That ability to be ready for anything has served her well as her work has shifted and changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) — the most common leukemia in adults — advanced testing can not only provide valuable information about their disease state, but peace of mind in the face of a progressive, incurable illness. Oftentimes, however, complex molecular and genetic tests to identify biomarker cues about disease trajectory and treatment intolerance are not performed, putting patients at risk for unmet expectations and unsatisfactory outcomes.

The genetic variability of glioma, and its more advanced relative glioblastoma, has made genetic testing to identify biomarkers associated with prognosis and treatment effectivity an integral component of care plan development. However, the acceleration of brain tumor research and discovery translates into an ever-changing testing environment.

Top highlights include: Overcoming pandemic procrastination and how senolytics reduce COVID-19 symptoms in preclinical studies.

Last year, when Brian Netzel was redeployed from Mayo Clinic's Biochemical Genetics Lab to a lab testing for COVID-19, he put his skills to work wherever they were needed — alongside hundreds of other Mayo staff doing the same as they battled the pandemic together.

A collaborative study between Mayo Clinic and the University of Illinois debunked the previous consensus about how kidney stones grow.

Part II of this series shows how a breakthrough discovery about how kidney stones form may open the way for new, unorthodox treatments. The discovery was made possible by joining University of Illinois’ geology and biology forces with Mayo Clinic’s urology and nephrology expertise.

This week’s research roundup features a study on therapeutic trials in adult FSGS and lessons learned for the road forward.

COVID-19 weekly news: Mayo Clinic updates masking, in-person meeting guidance; brushing off the ‘social rust’ as COVID-19 restrictions ease and how patients are now permitted two visitors at Mayo Clinic Health system locations.

Managing an outreach laboratory requires more than just sound technical skills. It also requires an firm understanding of the various financial components that affect the way a lab operates and performs in order to demonstrate, and prove, the positive financial impact of an outreach program.

This week’s research roundup features a study on how RAS mutations drive proliferative chronic myelomonocytic leukemia via a KMT2A-PLK1 axis.

Top highlights include: Mayo Clinic updates to guidance for masking, information about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines for children, and an expert podcast from Dr. Poland.

When most of the world was still struggling to understand how COVID-19 would affect their lives, Atria Senior Living took steps to protect their vulnerable residents and staff.