Answers from the Lab

Identifying a precise genetic cause of hearing loss impacts clinical management. Nicole Boczek, Ph.D., and Melanie Meyer, M.S., CGC, explain how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' updated panel yields comprehensive results for optimal patient care.

(00:31)
 Can you tell us a little about yourselves and your backgrounds?

(01:52)
 Could you provide a brief overview of this assay?

(02:29)
 Can the diagnosis lead to improved patient care? 

(03:51)
 When should this test be used?

(05:25)
 How do the results for AHLP alter medical management?

(07:34)

How does our AHLP compare to the market?

(08:31)

Does Mayo Clinic Laboratories' increased gene count make a difference in diagnosis?

(09:21)
 Why did we choose this many genes?

(10:02)
 When does genetics fit into a patient's journey?

(10:58)
 What are the benefits of doing AHLP at Mayo?

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by Vanda Lennon, M.D., Ph.D., founder of the Neuroimmunology Laboratory and now director of the Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Pritt and Dr. Lennon discuss the research and testing innovations that have led to critical advancements in the field of autoimmune neurology over the last few decades.

Specific topics of discussion include:

• How the development of targeted and clinically oriented panels has improved diagnostics and healthcare for individuals with paraneoplastic syndromes.
• Why interdisciplinary collaborations with neurology, laboratory medicine and pathology, immunology, and other specialties are essential to innovations in autoimmune neurology.
• Cases of groundbreaking research and testing at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, including: 
  • Autoimmune GI dysmotility
  • Myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton syndrome
  • Stiff-person spectrum disorders 
  • Autoimmune encephalopathy

Learn more about the impact of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ diagnostic expertise in the Patient Spotlight series featuring autoimmune neurology:

• MOGAD, or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein associated-antibody disease
• Autoimmune encephalitis
• MOG, or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein
• Testicular cancer-associated paraneoplastic encephalitis

Wei Shen, Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new breast cancer panel provides rapid results to guide critical treatment decisions.

(00:32)
 Could you provide our listeners with a little bit about yourself and your background?

(01:28)
 Could you give us a brief overview of the new rapid hereditary breast cancer panel?

(03:42)
 Can you describe a little bit of the rationale behind the design and how it differs from similar tests?

(05:03)
 Can you tell us a little bit more about which patients should have this testing?

(06:00)
 How are the results of the hereditary breast cancer panel used in patient care?

(08:14)
 Is there anything else you would like to add about the panel?

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, and Elitza Theel, Ph.D., director of the Infectious Diseases Serology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, talk about dengue and chikungunya arboviral infections. 

Specific topics of discussion include:

• Why cases of dengue and chikungunya viral infections have rapidly increased in South America.
• What happens when a human is infected with dengue virus or chikungunya virus.
• Testing options available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories for these mosquito-borne diseases. 

Sounak Gupta, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' gynecological NGS panels provide focused assessments of gynecological cancers. The cost-effective tests fill the gap between single gene assays and large cancer panels, to inform prognosis and treatment.
 
(00:32)
 Could you provide our listeners with a little bit about yourself and your background, please?

(01:22)
 Could you give a brief overview of the new assays?

(03:55)
 Can you talk a little about both the ovarian and gynecologic panel that will be in the new set of tests?

(05:53)
 What patients will be impacted by this testing?

(07:51)
 Can you speak to some of the individual genes in the gynecological area, such as POLE?

(09:31)
 Is there anything else you would like to add?

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss locally acquired cases of malaria that have recently occurred in Texas and Florida.

Their discussion includes:

•  Why malaria may be reappearing after being eliminated in the United States in the 1950s.
• The importance of laboratory diagnostics in identifying and diagnosing different types of malaria.
• Testing options available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories for malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. 

Sounak Gupta, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' urologic panels efficiently inform prognosis and individualized cancer treatment. The carefully curated panels fill the void between single gene assays and large NGS panels.

(00:32)
 Could you provide our listeners with a little bit about yourself and your background, please?

(01:35)
 Could you give us a brief overview of the newly developed urologic assays?

(03:51)
 Can you talk a little bit more about what patients should have this testing?

(07:24)
 Can you talk in more detail about the MayoComplete bladder and prostate panel?

(11:33)
 How are these results used in patient care?

(16:10)
 Is there anything else you would like to add?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a recent health advisory to remind healthcare providers to be on the lookout for cases of measles and to educate patients on measles prevention. 

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by Matthew Binnicker, Ph.D., director of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, to discuss why measles prevention continues to be critically important.

Specific topics of discussion include:

• A brief history of measles activity in the United States, and why measles cases are rising.
• Why the virus is so contagious, and how herd immunity applies to measles.
• Vaccination and prevention methods.
• Testing options available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories including:
  • Molecular testing to detect the viral RNA in urine (MEASU) and throat swabs (MEASR), 
  • Serology testing on serum to detect IgM (ROM) or IgG-class antibodies (ROPG), or serology testing on cerebrospinal fluid (ROC).

John Lieske, M.D., explains why it's now easier for clinicians to pull information from Mayo Clinic Laboratories' urine supersaturation test report. An updated format summarizes complex information to help guide the treatment of kidney stones.

(00:32)
 Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

(01:28)
 Could you give us a brief overview of urine supersaturation testing? How should it be used? How can it benefit providers and their patients?

(04:14)
 Can you tell us a little bit about the recent changes in our supersaturation tests and how they'll help providers better care for their patients?

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss the latest update on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed rule to oversee laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) and what that could mean for laboratories.

Specific topics of discussion include:

•  The FDA’s recent announcement on a proposed rule that would enable the agency to regulate LDTs, and what may happen next.
•  The impact that LDT regulation could have on clinical laboratories.
•  How to stay engaged and informed about regulatory issues.