Computational diagnosis and risk evaluation for canine lymphoma

The Current State of Clinical Application of Serum Biomarkers for Canine Lymphoma

Serum biomarkers of canine lymphoma activity for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy monitoring have been of clinical interest for more than a decade. Tumor products, biochemical enzymes, cytokines, metabolic profiling, leakage enzymes, as well as serum proteins have been studied as biomarkers for lymphoma. Multiple biomarkers combined have been shown to be most sensitive and specific. C-reactive protein, thymidine kinase 1, and haptoglobin have been most extensively studied and commercialized in diagnostic tests, the TK Canine Cancer Panel and the Canine Lymphoma Blood Test. These tests have been evaluated either in cohorts of diseased and healthy dogs or in prospective studies of ill dogs, respectively, for application to clinical decision-making. Some evidence exists for application of these tests, but large-scale studies are lacking in a broad range of lymphoma forms. These biomarkers are commonly elevated at diagnosis and at relapse. Further study is necessary to determine if early intervention guided by biomarker elevation will improve quantity or quality of life for dogs with lymphoma.

Fluorescence-based assay as a new screening tool for toxic chemicals

Our study involves development of fluorescent cell-based diagnostic assay as a new approach in high-throughput screening method. This highly sensitive optical assay operates similarly to e-noses and e-tongues which combine semi-specific sensors and multivariate data analysis for monitoring biochemical processes. The optical assay consists of a mixture of environmental-sensitive fluorescent dyes and human skin cells that generate fluorescence spectra patterns distinctive for particular physico-chemical and physiological conditions. Using chemometric techniques the optical signal is processed providing qualitative information about analytical characteristics of the samples. This integrated approach has been successfully applied (with sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 97%) in assessing whether particular chemical agents are irritating or not for human skin. It has several advantages compared with traditional biochemical or biological assays and can impact the new way of high-throughput screening and understanding cell activity. It also can provide reliable and reproducible method for assessing a risk of exposing people to different harmful substances, identification active compounds in toxicity screening and safety assessment of drugs, cosmetic or their specific ingredients.