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Genetic testing can uncover inherited genetic mutations, and could individualize cancer therapies, improve survival, manage cancer in loved ones and push the boundaries of precision medicine. In a new study published in JAMA Oncology, scientists with Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine conducted genetic testing in more than 3,000 patients who [...]

This month marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of the Human Genome Project, an international endeavor that mapped the 3 billion DNA letters that make up the blueprint of human life. The ambitious project began in October 1990 and was completed in April 2003. Today, researchers and clinicians with [...]

By Sara Tiner Cells in the body usually do what they’re told. In response to cues, cells divide, grow, shrink or die as needed. But there are some cells that start to ignore the body’s order to expire: senescent cells. Sometimes called "zombie cells" for their undead lingering, senescent cells have [...]

By Sara Tiner COVID-19 can affect people in a number of ways. Some can be infected and have no symptoms ― what's known as being asymptomatic. Others have symptoms, but do not have a serious illness. And some can require hospitalization for intensive complications. For those with symptoms or those who [...]

By Jennifer O'Hara It has been a remarkable year of discoveries and medical advances at Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine. Some innovations include personalized treatments for cancer and rare diseases, and the development of lifesaving artificial intelligence algorithms. All of the center’s efforts are driven by advanced genetic analysis and aimed [...]

By Noelle Schon When El Paso, Texas resident Leticia “Letty” Gutierrez met her husband David, she knew he was one in a million. The two have been married for 28 years and built a life together with three kids. Letty, a high school English teacher, says she was especially attracted to [...]

What causes some people to develop chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and metabolic syndrome while others stay healthy? A major clue could be found in their gut microbiome — the trillions of microbes living inside the digestive system that regulate various bodily functions. To utilize the huge population of [...]

Patients with a rare genetic disease called familial adenomatous polyposis, (FAP), often face debilitating challenges. Typically striking in the early teenage years, FAP is characterized by hundreds to thousands of tiny polyps forming in the colon and rectum and leading to a nearly 100% percent likelihood that they will get [...]

Mayo Clinic researchers have found new evidence linking the millions of bacteria residing in our digestive systems, known as the microbiome, to a network of factors that drive irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The findings, published in the Sept. 10, 2020 issue of Cell, raise the possibility of targeting the newly [...]

When COVID-19 spread across the U.S. in early March, Mayo Clinic’s Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory (ADL) urgently responded. Lab spaces were transitioned, staff reassigned and funding approvals were fast-tracked. Its goals were to accelerate research, development, translation and implementation of novel tests in order to discover life-saving treatments and diagnostics. “ADL houses [...]

Veronique Belzil, Ph.D., assistant professor in Mayo Clinic’s Department of Neuroscience in Jacksonville, Fla., and Feichen Shen, Ph.D., assistant professor of Biomedical Informatics in Rochester, Minn., are this year's recipients of the Gerstner Family Career Development Awards. The competitive awards are presented annually by Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine [...]

By Terri Malloy Heart patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or stent placement― nonsurgical procedures to improve blood flow to the heart ― are typically prescribed anti-platelet therapy to avoid blood clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. New research from the international TAILOR-PCI trial, the largest [...]