Dermatologische Zeitschrift: Bd. XIX. Heft 10 und 11

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Diagnostics Panel Discussion

Antibody-based Diagnostics (Shawn Owen, PhD); Real-time, web-based genomic big data analysis (Alistair Ward, PhD); Panel discussion: Chuck Hensel, Senior Research Manager (Lineagen, Inc.); Noriko Kusukawa, VP New Technology Assessment and Licensing (ARUP Labs); Liz Jenkins, Manager Reimbursement Services (Sera Prognostics); Michael Langer, Patent Attorney (Michael Best and Friedrich LLP). The 2017 Translational Medicine Symposium was held on Feb. 27th. The symposium addressed how clinicians' ideas and research results can have an impact on patient care - if they are translated into clinical practice. The symposium was a collaboration of the Entrepreneurial Faculty Scholars (EFS) program, led by Dr. Glenn D. Prestwich, the HHMI Med to Grad program (U2M2G), co-directed by Drs. Anthea Letsou and Dean Li, and the Center for Medical Innovation. Intended as a great opportunity for faculty, students, and postgraduate entrepreneurs to get acquainted with the complex and non-linear process of translating medical devices, diagnostics, therapeutics, digital health applications, and research tools so they can be used to impact patient care. Clinician innovators and entrepreneurs shared their experiences and a panel of experts discussed opportunities, barriers, and steps in creating impactful healthcare innovations

Serum concentrations of DKK-1 correlate with the extent of bone disease in patients with multiple myeloma.

OBJECTIVES: Lytic bone disease is a hallmark of multiple myeloma (MM) and is caused by osteoclast activation and osteoblast inhibition. Secretion of Dickkopf (DKK)-1 by myeloma cells is a major factor which causes inhibition of osteoblast precursors. So far, there is no study showing a significant difference in serum DKK-1 levels in MM patients with or without lytic bone lesions. METHODS: DKK-1 serum levels were quantified in 184 untreated MM patients and 33 monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) patients by ELISA, using a monoclonal anti-DKK-1 antibody. RESULTS: Serum DKK-1 was elevated in MM as compared with MGUS (mean 11 963 pg/mL vs. 1993 pg/mL; P 3 lesions: 3114 pg/mL vs. 3559 pg/mL vs. 24 068 pg/mL; P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Using a large series of myeloma patients, we could show for the first time a correlation between DKK-1 serum concentration and the amount of lytic bone disease, indicating that DKK-1 is an important factor for the extent of bone disease and supporting the hypothesis of DKK-1 as a therapeutic target in myeloma bone disease