laboratory medicine

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?

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?

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 welcome the new year and discuss the increase of respiratory viruses.

Their discussion includes:

• The increasing number of COVID-19 and influenza cases across the United States.
• The endemic state of COVID-19 and tools for prevention.
• The continued need to protect public health and advocate for the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act.

Linnea Baudhuin, Ph.D., and Kate Kotzer, M.S., CGC, describe how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' postmortem genetic tests can provide answers after a sudden unexplained cardiac death. Test results are important for managing family members' risk for cardiovascular disease.

Show notes
(00:32)
 Would each of you share a little bit about yourselves and your backgrounds?

(01:13)
 Could you provide us with an overview of these new tests?

(02:31)
 Can you expand on why these postmortem cardiac tests are so important?

(04:09)
 Who could benefit from postmortem cardiac testing?

(05:23)
 How does a health care provider order these tests? What sample types are accepted?

(07:09)
 Is there a limit to the age of the specimen? Are there any limitations to the type of variants that can be detected by this test?

(09:07)
 What other unique features set these tests apart?

(10:17)
 How are the test results used in patient care?

(11:22)
 Could you summarize the benefits of doing these tests at Mayo?

Devin Oglesbee, Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' cholestasis gene panel identifies mutations that cause low flow of bile from the liver. Test results help guide treatment decisions that can prevent liver damage.

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

(01:46)
 Could you please give the audience a brief overview of this assay?

(03:45)
 Which patients should have this testing and when should it be performed?

(06:39)
 How are the results used in patient care?

(08:51)
 What alternative test options are available and how do they compare to our test?

Antibody against the GABA-A receptor is a biomarker of autoimmune encephalopathy that occurs across the lifespan, and disproportionately affects children. In this test-specific episode of the "Answers From the Lab" podcast, Andrew McKeon, M.B., B.Ch., M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' GABA-A receptor antibody assay aids diagnosis of this serious but treatable condition.

Show notes
(00:32)
Could you provide a little information on your role here at Mayo Clinic?

(01:11)
 Can you give an introduction as to how GABA-A is important as the field of autoimmune neurology develops?

(02:15)
 What type of methodology are we using in this assay?

(03:17)
 Will there be a reflex to confirm positivity, or is that captured in that initial test?

(04:22)
 Is either CSF or serum specimen preferable, or do we recommend both for this biomarker?

(05:09)
 In combination with what phenotypes should this biomarker be considered?

(05:37)
 Should a physician consider adding a GABA-A receptor standalone test to our encephalopathy, epilepsy, or pediatric evaluations, to be sure they're doing a comprehensive review?

(06:25)
 Can you give us a little background on why this test is being launched by itself? Is Mayo Clinic Labs changing its stance on whether comprehensive evaluations are the most appropriate method?

(07:30)
 Why has it taken so long to bring this assay live?

(08:14)
 For exactly what type of patients should physicians consider this testing?

(10:21)
 Should physicians add our encephalopathy evaluation every time they order GABA-A? Is the presentation you just described common or a subset?

(11:24)
 Does that recommendation change in pediatric patients?

(12:20)
 What does a positive result tell physicians?

(12:57)
 Does GABA-A have a high-risk oncological association?

(13:18)
 What does GABA-A tell a pediatric neurologist if the test comes back positive?

(14:14)
 Should a positive GABA-A test lead a physician to a certain treatment option?

(15:24)
 What are you most excited about in relation to the launch of this new test?

(16:48)
 Is there anything else you'd like to add about this test?

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 U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent approval of two gene therapies for sickle cell disease.

Their discussion includes:

• The cause and characteristics of sickle cell disease.
• How the new cell-based gene therapies, Casgevy and Lyfgenia, work in the body.
• Bioethical and accessibility considerations of innovative treatments like gene-editing therapies.
• A brief update on the status of the FDA’s proposed rule on laboratory-developed tests.

Maria Willrich, Ph.D., and Melissa Snyder, Ph.D., describe Mayo Clinic Laboratories' panel for proactive therapeutic drug monitoring of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The panel expands options for clinicians assessing patients' response to the drugs infliximab and adalimumab.

(00:32)
 Could you provide a little bit of background information about yourselves?

(02:18)
 Would you give the audience a brief overview of the assay?

(04:18)
 Which patients should have this testing and when should it be performed? 

(07:24)
 What alternative test options are available, and how do these compare?

(11:02)
 How are the results used in patient care?

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 U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed rule on laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) and the comments Mayo Clinic submitted to the FDA.

Their discussion includes:

• How Mayo Clinic responded in its comments to the FDA on the proposed rule on LDTs.
• What comes next after the public comment period has closed effective Dec. 4.
• Quality management systems that are currently in place for laboratories.
• How changes in regulation could impact laboratory operations, patient care, access to testing, and innovation.

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. They discuss the one-year delay to clinical laboratory payment cuts recently passed by Congress and the importance of responding to the FDA’s proposed rule on laboratory-developed tests.

Specific discussion points include:

• How Congress passed the short-term spending package on Nov. 15 that included a one-year reprieve from planned Medicare cuts to laboratory services, and what this means moving forward.
• Why it is critical to submit constructive comments in response to the FDA’s proposed rule on laboratory-developed tests before the Dec. 4 deadline.
• What specific information would be helpful for laboratories to include in their comments to the FDA.

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. They discuss key takeaways from Dr. Morice’s recent visit in Washington, D.C. 

Their discussion includes:

• How device manufacturers are evolving and collaborating within the changing landscape.
• The importance of submitting comments in response to the FDA’s proposed rule on laboratory developed tests.
• Staying engaged with legislative efforts around laboratory reimbursement fees.

Lisa Rimsza, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' unique PM3CX test can accurately define subtypes of large B-cell lymphoma. Precise diagnosis is critical to choosing appropriate chemotherapy for these cancers.

Speaker 2: (00:32)
 Could you provide a brief background about yourself?

Speaker 2: (01:12)
 Would you give us an overview of the PM3CX test?

Speaker 2: (03:02)
 Which patients should have this testing? 

Speaker 2: (05:14)
 Is this test qualitative and RNA?

Speaker 2: (06:35)
 After determining if it's primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, does the test identify the cell of origin?

Speaker 2: (08:09)
 For patients diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, what are the treatment recommendations?

Speaker 2: (09:04)

Are there any other insights about this test that you'd like to share?

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. They discuss strategies for responsible innovation and how new standards for artificial intelligence (AI) safety will impact laboratory medicine and diagnostics.

Their discussion includes:

• Highlights of the Executive Order issued by President Biden on Oct. 30 that establishes new standards for safe and secure AI development. 
• Ethical considerations for laboratory leaders when applying AI algorithms.
• The importance of ensuring equitable access to powerful healthcare tools like AI.

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. They discuss the recent news of a possible cure for sickle cell disease, as well as gene editing therapies and their impact on the laboratory. 

Their discussion includes:

• Characteristics of sickle cell disease and current testing and treatment options.
• Advantages, challenges, and ethical considerations for gene editing tools.
• How gene therapies may impact the laboratory and the process for testing specimens.
• How the high cost of innovative therapeutics may accentuate disparities in care.

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 role and expansion of at-home testing. 

Their discussion includes:

• How home test kits for COVID-19 led to the expansion of at-home tests and telehealth options across the health industry.
• Understanding from a laboratory perspective the best use of future at-home testing opportunities.
• How the COVID-19 pandemic opened the door for more cross-collaboration and decentralization. 

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. They discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) has become a disruptive technology in the field of laboratory medicine, and how it can add value to patient care.

Their discussion includes:

• How the conversation around AI and laboratory medicine began, and how it has already made a mark on healthcare.
• Examples of AI applications within Mayo Clinic Laboratories.
• Considerations for responsible adoption of AI.

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. They discuss current focus areas found across the diagnostics industry and what transformative technologies are being explored around the world.

Their discussion includes:

• What international laboratories and diagnostics companies are working on during this post-pandemic time.
• How large language models, artificial intelligence, and automation are accelerating changes in healthcare. 
• Considerations for thoughtful implementation of new technologies and the role pathologists and laboratorians play in keeping the needs of the patient first.

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 the seasonal outlook of respiratory viruses, including influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Specific topics of discussion include:

• What respiratory viruses are currently circulating, and what we might expect in the coming months.
• Different testing methods for influenza, COVID-19, and RSV.
• Updated vaccination options and prevention methods.
• How to verify accurate expiration dates for at-home COVID-19 tests using the FDA website.