In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by Elitza Theel, Ph.D., director of the Infectious Diseases Serology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, to follow up on the syphilis epidemic and discuss updated testing recommendations.

Specific topics of discussion include:

• Background information on syphilis and the epidemic occurring in the United States.
• The report recently published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with updated laboratory recommendations for syphilis testing.
• The different testing methods used to diagnose syphilis.

Paul Jannetto, Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' nicotine testing benefits patients in substance-use cessation programs and other settings. The serum and urine tests quantify nicotine and various metabolites.

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

(01:42)
 Can you please provide an overview of substance use disorders, specifically nicotine dependence, and Mayo Clinic's nicotine testing options?

(04:33)
 Which patients should have this testing and when should it be performed?

(05:54)
 What alternative test options are available and how do these compare?

(06:40)
 How are the results used in patient care?

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories. They discuss the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) progress on making a final rule around regulating laboratory-developed tests (LDTs). 

Their discussion includes:

• How the FDA’s proposed rule on regulating LDTs has advanced to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, and what to expect in the coming months.
• Ongoing work around the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA).
• How laboratorians and pathologists can stay engaged on these important issues. 

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to honor Black History Month. They reflect on important advancements in healthcare and laboratory medicine that were led by Black healthcare professionals and scholars. They also discuss health inequities that impact communities throughout the United States. 

Their discussion includes:

• A few of the major advancements in the medical field made by Black scholars, nurses, doctors, and surgeons, and important contributions to laboratory medicine by pioneering Black physicians and physician-scientists.
• Health inequities, accessibility issues, and diseases that are more prevalent in African Americans and people of lower socioeconomic status.
• How misinformation impacts preventive health measures.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by Stefan Grebe, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of the Clinical Mass Spectrometry and Test Development Laboratory in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, and Irina Bancos, M.D.,consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism with a joint appointment in biochemistry and immunology. They discuss the diagnosis and management of adrenal gland tumors.

Specific topics of discussion include:

• How the adrenal glands function and how tumors may affect these small, hormone-producing glands.
• Testing options for diagnosing malignant and benign tumors of the adrenal gland.
• Mayo Clinic’s use of machine learning and other innovative tools to distinguish adrenal carcinoma from common benign adrenal tumors as well as non-endocrine adrenal malignancies.

Ann Moyer, M.D., Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' test panel provides comprehensive evaluation of patients with suspected monogenic early onset inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. Accurate diagnosis is key to guiding therapy for patients, who might be as young as age 2.

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

(01:17)
 Could you please do a brief overview of our EOIBD test?

(03:24)
 Which patients should have this testing and when should it be performed?

(05:31)
 How are results used in patient care?

(07:02)
 What alternative test options are available and how do these compare to our test?

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss current activity of infectious diseases.

Their discussion includes:

• Vector-borne diseases that are causing public health concerns, and the multi-agency public health strategy recently released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to address the growing problem.
• The benefits of a public-private, collaborative approach to public health, and why laboratorians need to be involved.
• Both new and reemerging diseases that are being found across the United States, and how laboratory-developed tests play a vital role in diagnosing and managing these diseases.

Anne Tebo, Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new serum tests help overcome the challenges of diagnosing primary biliary cholangitis, or PBC. Test results can guide clinical care for patients with this life-threatening autoimmune liver disease.

(00:32)
Could you please provide a little information about your background?

(02:09)
Please give a brief overview of the new test panels.

(05:35)
Which patients should have this testing and when should it be performed?

(09:49)
What alternative test options are available, and how do those compare to our testing at Mayo Clinic Laboratories?

(13:15)
How are the results used in patient care?

David Murray, M.D., Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' MASS-FIX Quantitation assay provides next-generation screening for M-proteins, which are associated with multiple myeloma and other diseases. The assay better quantitates the blood proteins, for improved patient care and simpler test ordering.

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

(02:56)
Would you elaborate on the role of you and the Mayo Clinic team in advancing insights with the use of mass spectrometry and its initial launch?

(05:38)
Please share about Quantitative MASS-FIX and its specificity, and which patients should have this testing and when it should be performed.

(09:42)
Is this a more simplified ordering menu?

(15:01)
Would you elaborate on how this assay supports the IMWG guidelines?

(16:01)
Are there any closing remarks you would like to add?

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, to discuss what companies in the healthcare and diagnostics industries are focusing on in 2024.

Their discussion includes:

• Insights from the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, and where investments are happening in the diagnostics industry.
• Observations from visiting Southeast Asia around international healthcare innovation and testing accessibility. 
• The importance of private-public partnerships and investments to advance global health.