Answers from the Lab: Recent Episodes

Mayo Clinic Laboratories

A Mayo Clinic curated podcast sharing Mayo Clinic knowledge and advancements on the state of testing, science, and people who are making it happen behind the scenes.

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 Elitza Theel, Ph.D., director of the Infectious Diseases Serology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic. They talk about murine typhus, also known as flea-borne typhus, and the recent increase in cases in Los Angeles County and Texas.

Specific topics of discussion include:

How flea-borne typhus is transmitted to humans and common symptoms.
How the disease is diagnosed, treated, and prevented.
Typhus testing available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories.

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 Paul Jannetto, Ph.D., director of the Clinical and Forensic Toxicology Lab, Clinical Mass Spectrometry Lab, and Metals Lab at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Pritt and Dr. Jannetto discuss the current state of the opioid crisis in the United States, its impact on public health, and the important role of laboratory testing in addiction medicine and pain management patients.

Specific topics of discussion include:

The roles that testing and screening programs play in identifying opioid addiction and facilitating treatment planning.
Different controlled substance monitoring profiles and addiction rehabilitation monitoring profiles offered at Mayo Clinic Laboratories.
Barriers in implementing effective testing strategies within communities heavily impacted by the opioid crisis.
The importance of education and consultation in helping physicians support 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. They discuss pathogens commonly found in the summertime that can cause disease and illness, and how to protect against them.

Their discussion includes:

Mosquito-borne and tick-borne diseases, their symptoms, and how to prevent bites.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) online search tool to help individuals find an effective bug repellent.
Foodborne illness that can occur when dining out or picnicking, and tips on how to dine safely.
General summertime safety reminders and what to expect in the transition to fall.

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 role that a strong public health lab and diagnostic testing capabilities play in preventing widespread infectious disease outbreaks.

Their discussion includes:

The reemergence of infectious diseases that were prevalent years ago in the United States, and the role of the laboratory in addressing these modern-day outbreaks.
How the introduction of pathogens from other countries and novel pathogens emphasizes the need for globally coordinated preparedness.
Why a strong partnership between laboratory professionals and patient-facing clinicians is critical to combatting outbreaks and rare diseases.
How advocating on behalf of clinical laboratories also benefits patients and public health.

Patients with elevated LDL or "bad" cholesterol face even greater risk if their levels of small dense LDL cholesterol are also high. Vlad Vasile, M.D., Ph.D., and Leslie Donato, Ph.D., explain how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' sdLDL-c assay measures concentrations of the small dense LDL subtype, to better guide clinical care.

(00:32)
Could you both tell us a little about yourselves and your backgrounds?

(01:24)
Could you tell us a little bit about small dense LDL cholesterol and why it is an important marker for helping a physician understand a patient's risk for coronary heart disease?

(03:22)
Could you describe the types of patients who could benefit from having a better understanding of their sdLDL-c levels?

(04:36)
Could you help us understand other tests or methodologies that are currently used to assess cardiovascular risk?

(06:13)
Could you describe Mayo Clinic's new assay for sdLDL-c cholesterol and how it will benefit physicians managing CVD 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. They discuss Dr. Pritt’s recent trip to Uganda where she taught a global health course as part of a Mayo Clinic-sponsored initiative to help expand knowledge around the world in global health and tropical medicine.

Their discussion includes:

Dr. Pritt’s experience in Uganda teaching diverse, hands-on laboratory skills to international healthcare professionals.
Benefits of increasing knowledge of global health and practicing medicine in a resource-limited tropical setting.
How access to diagnostics is driving disparities of care within the United States and across the world.

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.

Angela Pickart, M.S., CGC, and Emily Lauer, M.S., CGC, explain how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' multigene panel helps identify the cause of hereditary ataxia. Precise diagnosis of this complex movement disorder helps guide patient treatment and family screening.

Show notes
Speaker 3: (00:31)
Can you tell us a little about yourselves and your backgrounds?

Speaker 3: (01:33)
Why is genetic counseling so important to our doctors and patients?

Speaker 3: (03:04)
Can you give a brief overview of hereditary ataxia?

Speaker 3: (04:24)
Can you tell us more about Mayo Clinic's suite of molecular tests for various types of ataxia?

Speaker 3: (08:03)
Are there any additional tests for hereditary ataxia at Mayo Clinic?

Speaker 3: (09:05)

When might a provider consider genetic testing for a patient?

Speaker 3: (10:05)
Why is genetic testing important, and how are the results used?

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 talk about the evolution of remote diagnostics and how Mayo Clinic’s remote cardiovascular monitoring services empower physicians and patients.

Specific topics of discussion include:

How a comprehensive diagnostics ecosystem includes patient data beyond traditional laboratory specimens.
An overview of Mayo Clinic’s Cardiovascular Services, a collaboration between Mayo Clinic Laboratories and Mayo Clinic’s Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, that enables physicians to remotely monitor patients’ heart functions from anywhere in real time.
The role laboratorians can play in assessing and adopting new technologies that influence patient care.

Anne Tebo, Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' updated ALDG2 assay helps with the evaluation of patients with suspected autoimmune liver disease. The panel also helps with the evaluation of liver disease of unknown etiology.

Speaker 2: (00:32)
Could you provide a little bit about you and your background?

Speaker 2: (02:05)
Can you please give a brief overview of this assay?

Speaker 2: (04:12)
Which patients should have this testing and when should it be performed?

Speaker 2: (07:17)
Could you please go into detail about the changes we've made in this test?

Speaker 2: (11:46)
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 talk about the tick season peak that parts of the United States are experiencing, and how to diagnose and prevent Lyme disease.

Specific topics of discussion include:

What parts of the United States have a heavy tick and Lyme disease presence.
How Mayo Clinic identified the second known cause of Lyme disease, Borrelia mayonii.
Typical and atypical presentations of Lyme disease, and testing options.
How the laboratory plays a critical role in new test development and health care innovation.
How to protect yourself and your pets from vector-borne diseases.

Research and discoveries in the biopharmaceutical industry drive health care innovation and lead to new therapies for patients. When laboratories collaborate with biopharma, diagnostic, and biotech companies, it creates an integrated diagnostic ecosystem that can improve global health.

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 talk about the role of the biopharma industry and how Mayo Clinic BioPharma Diagnostics is fostering a diagnostic ecosystem.

Specific topics of discussion include:

· The importance of the biopharma industry working across the spectrum of diagnostics.

· An overview of Mayo Clinic BioPharma Diagnostics.

· New collaborations between Mayo Clinic, its diagnostic business lines, and industry partners.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins “Answers From the Lab” for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., interim chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic. In this episode, using recent news as an example, Drs. Pritt and Morice discuss what can go wrong if everyone in the lab does not make quality their top priority.

(00:31)
Could you each provide us a little bit about yourself and your background? Dr. Zheng, we'll start with you.

(01:40)
Dr. Mansfield, how about you?

(02:07)
Could you explain a little bit about the new biopsy test and the technology?

(03:58)
Which patients should have this testing and when should it be used?

(06:44)
What alternative test options are available and how would they compare to the Mayo complete cell-free DNA panel?

(08:28)
Can you go into a little more detail from a clinical practice perspective about how these tests are used?

(10:16)
Dr. Zheng, is there anything else you would like to add to this discussion?

(10:53)
Dr. Mansfield, is there anything else you would like to add to this discussion?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., interim chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss how to stay healthy during the holiday season and protect yourself and your loved ones from respiratory illnesses including influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

(01:11)

Dr. Hasadsri, could you provide us with an overview of what carrier screening is?

(02:28)
Can you really expand on why these tests are important?

(05:25)
So in your experience, who could benefit from carrier screening and when should that testing be performed?

(06:45)
Can you just share how does a healthcare provider order carrier screening and then secondarily what sample types are accepted?

(08:05)
Can you share what are some of the unique features of our testing that sets the Mayo Clinic Laboratories apart?

(10:36)
So the last question I have is could you just summarize the benefits of doing carrier screening at Mayo?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., interim chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss common challenges facing many hospital and laboratory leaders today, the important role of lab leaders in advancing patient care, and what to watch in Washington, D.C., as we head into the year’s end.

(00:32)
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background and your role at Mayo Clinic?

(01:08)
How long have you been with Mayo Clinic and where were you previously?

(01:37)
Can you tell us a little bit about the panel and explain why these four tests were chosen over other combinations of tests?

(07:43)
Which patients would this panel be used for and when should the panel be run?

(09:26)
Is there anything else you'd like to explain about this panel?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., interim chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss their new roles at Mayo Clinic and update listeners on the latest legislative news impacting the laboratory and diagnostic industries. They also highlight the launch of MayoComplete, Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ robust suite of oncology and hematology testing that uses next-generation sequencing to identify and evaluate presence of mutations.

(00:31)
Can you please provide us a little bit of background about yourself?

(01:29)
Can you give us an overview of this assay?

(02:44)
Can you talk about what genes have been added, and why?

(04:16)
Can you talk about patients who should have this testing?

(06:20)
Are there any last comments that you would like to make about the new gastrointestinal tumor panel?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss how traveling and gathering impacts respiratory virus spread, and how testing and lab stewardship will be critical in the months ahead. They also highlight Dr. Pritt’s parasitology blog, Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites, which just posted its 700th case.

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

(01:43)
Could you give a brief overview of the new melanoma assay?

(04:53)
Is the assay able to provide diagnostic, prognostic and classification information, and potential therapeutic implications?

(05:12)
Could you talk a little more about the MSI assessment in this panel?

(05:59)
Which patients should have this testing?

(07:01)
How are these results used in patient care?

(08:39)
Is there anything else you'd like to add?

(00:32)
Could you provide us a little background about yourself?

(01:44)
Could you give us a brief overview of the new Mayo complete colorectal panel assay?

(03:44)
Can you go a little bit into more detail on guidelines and therapeutic implications concerning these specific genes?

(06:09)
Which patients should have this testing?

(08:00)
Are there any last pieces you'd like to add about the new Mayo Clinic colorectal cancer assay?

(00:32)
Could you provide us some background about yourself?

(01:34)
Could you give us a brief overview of the new Mayo complete lung cancer assay?

(03:31)
Can you talk a little bit more about the specific genes and why they're important for patient care?

(04:53)
When would a clinician pathologist order a focused NGS panel, such as this new Mayo complete lung cancer panel, over a larger cancer panel?

(07:27)
What specimens are accepted for the Mayo complete lung cancer panel?

(08:50)
How are these molecular results used in patient care?

(00:31)
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

(01:15)
Can you give us a little understanding of this disease state and why a tailored evaluation for pediatric patients is important?

(02:47)
What makes it more challenging to diagnose a pediatric autoimmune neurological disorder?

(03:32)
Is the tailored evaluation necessary because different antibodies are evaluated?

(04:08)
How common are these disorders in pediatric patients?

(04:40)
How does our assay for adults differ from the pediatric assay?

(05:17)
Do we evaluate for the ANNA-1 paraneoplastic antibody in both children and adults?

(05:59)
Are our decisions on which antibodies to include based on our clinical experience?

(06:46)
Which patients would this kind of testing be appropriate for?

(07:29)
Should antibody testing be ordered early in the process of differential diagnosis?

(08:29)
Do other disorders mimic these autoimmune disorders?

(09:00)
What do test results mean in terms of next steps for physicians and patients?

(09:55)
What are the most critical antibodies to test for in this pediatric population?

(10:30)
Is it important for physicians to send both serum and CSF samples?

(10:48)
In what specimen type is MOG most readily detected?

(11:18)
What are the repercussions of not using a tailored evaluation?

(13:04)
Do we use any patterns we see in test results to build future evaluations?

(14:15)
Does a tailored evaluation mean faster test results?

(15:21)
Are there any other key takeaways that you want to share with physicians to help them understand the importance of this evaluation and how it can be used in their clinical practices?

On this week’s episode of the "Answers From the Lab" podcast, Bobbi Pritt, M.D., is joined by Matthew Binnicker, Ph.D., director of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Pritt and Dr. Binnicker discuss why it could be a rough influenza season, testing options for patients with respiratory infections, and how to protect yourself from illness.

(0:32)
Will you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

(01:35)
Can you help us understand what type of tests you perform in your laboratory and how the results can be used to support patient care?

(02:18)
When is it important to consider urine drug testing, and what is our recommended approach?

(03:59)
Could you help us understand more about forensic toxicology and when to consider testing?

(04:46)
Is chain of custody testing recommended for only a small number of patients?

(04:58)
What other tests are available, and where can people learn which testing to order?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss the stabilization of monkeypox and COVID-19, the shift from pandemic to endemic status, the increase in global virus outbreaks, and the role that laboratory medicine plays in this changing health environment.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice cover current trends for monkeypox and COVID-19, their thoughts as autumn begins, getting back to infection prevention basics, and a quick legislation update.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA), how it is designed to mitigate harmful effects of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA), where the legislation stands today, and how to get involved in advocacy.

(00:32)
Could you provide a little bit of background about yourself, please?

(01:01)
Please give us a brief overview of the new PIK3CA assay.

(02:09)
Why do we offer two different tests, and when should each be ordered?

(03:58)
Which patients should have this testing?

(04:39)
Is this testing used for patients being considered for second-line treatment after first-line hormone receptor treatment?

(05:20)
Is there anything else you would like to add about the PIK3CA testing?

(06:23)
Why is it important to know the molecular signature of these tumors?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, they discuss Dr. Morice’s new role as CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories (MCL), his patient-centered vision for the future, and how MCL is leading positive changes in the diagnostics industry.

(00:31)
Could each of you please provide a little bit of background about yourself?

(01:18)
Let's start with a general definition of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) for our audience.

(02:21)
PCD is rare. Dr. Maleszewski, can you talk about the implications of that?

(02:39)
What is the current state of PCD diagnosis in the U.S. and globally, and what are the implications for patient care?

(03:37)
Can you say a bit more about Mayo Clinic's diagnostic approach to PCD?

(05:16)
Mayo Clinic is the first and only diagnostic center of excellence accredited by the primary PCD foundation. What is the significance of that?

(07:01)
Can you expand upon future plans for PCD diagnosis at Mayo Clinic?

(00:32)
Would you mind sharing a bit about yourself and your background?

(01:44)
Would it be fair to say you're an expert on this topic?

(01:57)
Could you help us understand the role of laboratory testing in supporting recovery from alcohol use disorders, and how to approach testing for those patients?

(04:50)
Could you help us understand our new direct alcohol biomarker test and its benefits?

(07:57)
What other tests are available, and how do they compare with this biomarker?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss current challenges in lab medicine and what it means to be a laboratory leader, including innovation, test stewardship, and the use of digital pathology.

(00:31)
Can you both tell us a little bit about yourselves and your backgrounds? Dr. Moyer, do you want to start?

(01:51)
Your background, Dr. Janetto?

(02:47)
Please provide an overview of major depressive disorder and the test that Mayo Clinic Laboratories has available for therapeutic drug monitoring as well as pharmacogenomics.

(07:05)
Which patients should have this testing, and when should it be performed?

(11:33)
What alternative test options are available, and how do they compare?

(15:37)
How are the results used in patient care?

(00:31)
Would each of you share a little about yourselves and your backgrounds?

(01:17)
Could you please provide us with an overview of what types of genetic testing for inherited kidney diseases are available Mayo Clinic Labs?

(02:35)
Can you expand on why genetic testing for kidney disease is important?

(04:30)
Who could benefit from genetic testing for inherited kidney diseases?

(05:55)
What types of variants are detected by these new genetic panels at Mayo Clinic Labs?

(07:05)
How would you say our test matches up to other tests that are currently available?

(08:07)
What other unique features set the Mayo test apart from some of the competitor offerings?

(09:08)
Could you summarize the benefits of doing genetic testing for kidney diseases at Mayo Clinic?

(10:01)
How can a healthcare provider order one of these new inherited kidney disease genetic test panels, and what types of specimens do we accept?

(00:31)
Could you provide us a little bit about your background?

(01:09)
Can you give us an overview of the carrier screening panels that have been developed and the focused panel for carrier screening?

(07:53)
When should this focused panel testing be performed?

(09:41)
Can you share a little bit more detail about what the testing is like for families that choose that route?

(11:06)
Can you expand on what alternative test options are available and how these tests compare?

(15:06)
Is there anything else you would want to add regarding how test results are used in patient care?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss the latest monkeypox developments, potential scenarios for monkeypox moving forward, and where the VALID Act stands.

(00:32)
Would you mind telling our listeners a little about yourself and your background?

(01:16)
This evaluation is about CIDP — chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, correct?

(02:16)
Can you give us an overview of what the CIDP evaluation will consist of?

(04:38)
Our standalone test for neurofascin-155 won't change, but will be rolled into this new test along with contactin-1, correct?

(06:41)
This is a very rare disease with subtle clues, so does it make logical sense to pair these two antibodies?

(08:07)
Why did we choose a cell-binding assay over a western blot or other methodology? Is there a reason why contactin-1 is better on CBA methodology?

(09:40)
Can you elaborate on what this phenotype-specific approach means for neurologists, and how it makes their ordering easier?

(11:14)
Even though it's hard to determine exactly what test to order for these patients, testing too broadly can just add to the confusion. Is a narrowed evaluation that answers specific questions more helpful?

(14:42)
Can you give us any clues as to when a physician shouldn't order this test because it's unlikely to be positive?

(15:51)
How does this test drive patient care? A lot of these patients are therapy refractory. What would be the second- or third-level treatment? Is there any oncological association with antibody positivity?

(18:44)
Are there any alternative options for diagnostic answers for this challenging patient population?

(20:44)
What is the key takeaway? What excites you most about this new test launch?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss how monkeypox can be transmitted, the possibilities of a future Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), and access to testing.

(00:31)
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

(01:11)
Could you describe these new tests and when it would be appropriate to use each of them in the clinic?

(03:16)
Could you provide a little background on why MCL is making changes to the PLA2R test?

(04:34)
Could you describe the change to KDIGO guidelines and when it may be appropriate to skip the biopsy? How will these new tests help physicians implement these new guidelines in their practices?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss new developments in monkeypox testing, updates on the federal response, and lessons learned from managing other viruses.

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

(01:39)
Could you please give a basic overview of the NPM1Q test and why we are so pleased to offer it?

(06:56)
Which patients should have this test and when should it be performed? Is it when they are initially diagnosed?

(09:44)
How would translocation 8;21 and inversion 16 tests be incorporated into testing for patients?

(10:41)
How are the results used in patient care?

(13:41)
What alternative tests options are available, and how do they compare with the NPM1Q test?

(16:22)
What considerations would you suggest clinicians keep in mind for patient care?

John Osborn, operations administrator in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for a discussion with host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. about monkeypox testing. In this episode, John and Dr. Pritt discuss how Mayo Clinic swiftly operationalized monkeypox testing and the challenges involved with supporting the new assay, including staffing.

If the work discussed in the episode interests you, we’d love to have you join our team. If you are an MLS/CLS graduate or a biology/chemistry graduate, consider applying for a laboratory career with the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.

(01:51)
Can you give a brief overview of the assay you developed and how it works?

(06:28)
The serotonin release assay is utilized within five to 14 days of heparin exposure. Is there a subsequent time when this test would be utilized?

(10:28)
How does this assay improve upon previous approaches?

(12:58)
Is there greater specificity and sensitivity with the use of nonradioactive materials?

(13:46)
What interesting findings have we had through the process of developing and validating this assay?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with podcast host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss the World Health Organization’s declaration of monkeypox as a global public health emergency, how Mayo Clinic Laboratories quickly implemented testing, and the public-private partnership to manage the response.

(00:32)
Can you please tell our listeners a little about yourself and your background?

(01:00)
Mayo Clinic Laboratories already offers one test for Alzheimer's disease, right?

(01:32)
Could you tell our listeners about the new FDA-approved test that Mayo Clinic Laboratories will launch soon?

(02:43)
The test results will report the ratio of the amyloid isoforms, not the individual test components, right?

(03:26)
Does the new test require a certain tube?

(04:15)
Can you provide a little more detail on the commercially available tube that will be required?

(04:36)
Which patient population would benefit most from this test?

(05:30)
Can you compare and contrast the existing Alzheimer's disease test and the new amyloid ratio evaluation?

(08:58)
Is Mayo Clinic's ADEVL the only test that measures the tau component?

(09:51)
When would one of these tests be more appropriate than the other?

(10:52)
Can you help our listeners understand what a "laboratory developed" test means?

(11:43)
From a physician's standpoint, how might this new test improve patient care?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with podcast host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss the science behind the increasing COVID-19 infections, why individuals can get reinfected with different variants, and the effectiveness of the at-home antigen tests.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with podcast host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss advances in monkeypox testing, working with the CDC to scale testing and response efforts, the fast-spreading BA.5 variant of COVID-19, and how at-home testing affects the number of reported cases.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with podcast host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss the recent Department of Health and Human Services announcement that named Mayo Clinic Laboratories as one of five commercial labs to expand capacity for monkeypox testing. They also discuss newly introduced legislation – the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA).

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with podcast host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss what the increasing monkeypox cases are revealing, and regulatory updates on the VALID Act and PAMA.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with podcast host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice discuss the latest developments in monkeypox, the reality of living in the age of pandemics, and the importance of testing and public-private partnerships.

(00:32):

Before we jump in, would each of you share a little bit about your background and yourselves?

(01:18):

Dr. Marcou. could you provide us with an overview of what the WESDX test is?

(01:50):

Marissa, would you help explain why this test is important?

(03:10):

In your experience who would benefit from WESDX,

(05:12):

How does a provider order A WES DX and secondarily what type of samples are accepted?

(06:24):

What types of variants are detected by the test?

(07:47):

There are a lot of exome tests available. What are some other unique features that set WESDX apart?

(09:52):

Last question, could you summarize the benefits of doing WESDX at Mayo?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins "Answers From the Lab" for his weekly leadership update with podcast host Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Morice consider the recent uptick in cases of monkeypox and what labs can do to help facilitate accurate diagnosis of it and other viral infections.

John Black, M.D., co-director of the Personalized Genomics Lab at Mayo Clinic, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for a discussion with Bobbi Pritt, M.D., about mental health awareness. In this episode, Dr. Black and Dr. Pritt review key takeaways from Mental Health Awareness Month, the role that lab testing plays in mental health, and the robust science behind treatment.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt discuss the range of emerging viruses and their variants that are currently in the news.

Matthew Binnicker, Ph.D., director of Mayo Clinic’s Clinical Virology Laboratory, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for a discussion with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. about recent outbreaks of viral infections. In this episode, Dr. Binnicker and Dr. Pritt look at the hepatitis cases in children possibly linked to adenovirus as well as the spread of Monkeypox.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt review the VALID Act — a piece of legislation currently under consideration in Congress that could lead to significant changes in the oversight of clinical laboratories in the U.S.

Elitza Theel, Ph.D., director of the Infectious Diseases Serology Lab at Mayo Clinic, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for a discussion with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. about tick-borne disease testing. In this episode, Dr. Theel and Dr. Pritt look at emerging tick-borne illnesses, the tests available to detect these infections, and how to prevent them.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt discuss legislation under consideration in Congress that could have significant impact on laboratory medicine in the U.S.

(00:32)
Could you let our listeners know a bit about your role and background at Mayo Clinic?

(01:23)
Is there a lot of information sharing between our neurology clinicians and the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center when it comes to test development?

(01:50)
Can you give us a brief overview of the test?

(03:17)
Is a cerebral spinal fluid test for NFLC already on the market?

(04:41)
How has Mayo Clinic been able to launch this test in blood?

(05:49)
What is a laboratory developed test, and what does it mean for physicians?

(07:00)
Do we have a high degree of confidence that physicians will get an actionable result from this blood test?

(07:45)
How will Mayo Clinic Laboratories help physicians interpret the test results?

(09:15)
For which patients is this test most appropriate?

(10:59)
How might patients benefit from this test?

(11:46)
How can this test help physicians to know which treatment path to pursue?

(12:33)
How else might this test benefit patients?

(13:49)
What about this test excites you most?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for a leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. This week, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt talk about the importance of collaboration between laboratory professionals and other members of the patient care team, and they discuss the crucial role lab medicine plays in the clinical practice.

(00:32): Before we get started, will you two, please tell us a little bit about yourselves and your backgrounds.

(01:38) Thank you, Dr. Langman, Dr. Jannetto, would you mind going next?

(02:38): Will you guys just give us some content on urine drug testing and, and how this helps really manage patients with substance use disorders

(04:05): Could you tell us about, uh, Mayo clinic's new addiction medicine profile and its benefits?

(06:45): Thank you for that. What alternative tests are available and how do these compare to this new profile?

(08:36): Great points in it, monumental profile for Mayo Clinic laboratories. Thank you for your time today to learn more about this topic or to learn how to order this profile at your institution, please visit www.mayocliniclabs.com.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for a leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. This week, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt discuss government regulation and oversight of lab developed tests, and review proposed legislation that would affect clinical laboratories.

Andrew McKeon, M.B., B.Ch., M.D., an expert in neuroimmunology, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for a conversation with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. McKeon and Dr. Pritt discuss how Mayo Clinic is pioneering advancements in the field of autoimmune neurology, how these discoveries were made, and why they are important to both patients and physicians.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt look at current trends in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and they discuss advances in diagnosing the virus.

(00:32)

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background and your role here at Mayo Clinic?

(01:43)

Can you tell us a little bit about the test and also explain why it was unavailable for a period of time?

(05:46):

I know there must have been a lot of effort and a lot of time put in ensuring that even if it means taking the down and maybe even for financial loss for the Mayo clinic that we get it right.

(06:47):

From what I understand, as I understand it, it's more of an adjunct or a confirmative test that's used. Can you please expand a little bit on that?

(10:18):

Do they always have this done after calprotectin testing, or are they ordered at the same time, in some cases, is there ever a time when you would order both together or is it always one first and then the other?

(11:55):

You just mentioned some of the details behind the results, but some of the studies around the markers used in this test have shown some interesting data around the results being more highly predictive in determining Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis in pediatric patients. Is that something you're familiar with?

(14:03):

And how does the Mayo Clinic test compare in efficiency or cost?

(17:34):

So we've Discussed quite a bit of information. How does all of this play into patient care?

(18:24):

Is anything else you'd like to add to those who may be considering ordering the IBD P two test through Mayo clinic laboratories, or maybe did in the past, but have switched labs and are still on the fence about coming back to MC for this test?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt explain what it means for a clinical laboratory to be licensed by CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments), and discuss the important role of the lab director in a CLIA laboratory.

(0:58)
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

(01:47)
Could you provide us some background on cobalt and chromium testing, and when these tests are used in patient care?

(03:16)
You recently completed a study comparing the sensitivity and specificity of cobalt and chromium testing to detect adverse local tissue reactions using synovial fluid versus whole blood samples. Could you tell us more about the study and the results?

(06:12)
What is your recommendation to physicians treating symptomatic patients with metal-on-metal implants for measuring metal ion levels?

(06:44)
Could you provide some details on the cobalt and chromium synovial fluid tests available at Mayo Clinic Laboratories?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt discuss how innovation in laboratories can address unmet patient needs and expand access to health care.

(00:32):

Before we get started, can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and your role here at Mayo Clinic?

(01:17):

Will you start by telling us a little bit about what thiopurines are, and give us a brief overview of the test and how the results are used with patients affected by inflammatory bowel syndrome?

(03:21):

If like you said, the patients don't metabolize these drugs, well, you might actually make the situation worse by taking the medications?

(04:03):

According to the Crohn's and ulcerative colitis organizations around six to 10 people with these conditions end up taking these medications at some point in their life, including children, is that correct?

(04:38):

So who exactly is this test recommended for it? And when would you say is the best time for the patient to have the test performed? Does the patient wait for the symptoms to arise or is it recommended that the labs are run before the medications are prescribed?

(05:55):

When this test was developed, it was developed for use with all patients in mind, but the studies around the test have shown some really interesting data in regard to certain groups of patients for whom it may be more important. Would you care to expand on that?

(08:35):

If the Patient had not taken this test. How else would the patient be aware of these types of issues? Are there other test options that they could use? And if so, how are those other test options different from what we do here at Mayo Clinic Labs?

(11:05):

Is there anything else you'd like to add to kind of remind someone why they should consider this test?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt explain what lab developed tests are, why they are important, and how their quality is regulated.

(00:32) Before we get started, Dr. Willrich, can you give us a quick introduction of yourself and your role here at Mayo Clinic?

(01:13) Can you give us a little bit of background about what kappa free light chain testing is and the importance of the multiple sclerosis test?

(05:01) Can you give us a brief discussion about what this publication means and what it means to patients and physicians as a whole?

(06:12) So when it comes to these methods, what should you tell physicians? You know, why we should use kappa free light chains other than those other methods?

(08:39) When it comes to this new approach, can you tell me about how does this really impact the patients?

(10:18) Thanks so much for that information, Dr. Willrich , can you tell me, what does this mean for the patients?

(12:08) With you being one of the authors for this publication, can you tell me what this publication means to you and what it should mean to everyone else?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. As cases of COVID-19 rise again in some parts of the world, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt review new variants that are being uncovered and discuss the impact they may have on the pandemic.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt discuss challenges and opportunities for the laboratory industry when it comes to regulatory oversight.

(:52)
Would you mind starting off with telling us a little bit about yourself and your background?

(1:29)
Can you help us understand how knowing urinary ammonium levels help you manage your patients on a day-to-day basis?

(2:58)
Can you help the audience understand the evolution of laboratory tests used to determine urinary ammonium levels and why nephrologists are now recommending using tests that directly measure urinary ammonium instead of the widely accepted urinary ammonium gap estimate?

(6:17)
Can you share a little more information about the tests that we have available and how, and when they should be used in clinical practice?

(7:57)
Finally, what advice do you have for nephrologists that be converting from urine anine gap to direct ammonium testing?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt discuss the new plan announced this week by the White House to combat COVID-19 going forward.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt review the CDC’s new masking guidelines, and discuss how those changes reflect the status of the COVID-19 pandemic overall.

(00:32)
Thank you for ending your introduction, Dr. Pritt. Today, we will be discussing extended spectrum beta lactamase testing at Mayo Clinic Laboratories. But before we get started, Dr. Schuetz, could you provide our listeners with a little bit about you and your background?

(01:08)
Thank you for sharing your background with us. Can you provide a brief overview of this testing?

(03:27)
Thank you, Dr. Schuetz for this overview. Could you describe which patients should have this testing, and when should it be performed?

(05:22)
This is extremely helpful; especially the ability of the testing to be utilized with investigational new drug applications. So, I got two questions for you. Could you elaborate a bit further on how this testing improves upon previous testing approaches, and are there other options on the market? If so, what makes our testing different or unique?

(06:46)
I appreciate your explanation of those differences. As we conclude our interview here, could you describe for us again, the clinical action that is enabled by the results of this test via traditional patient setting or in an investigational protocol that might be underway?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, hosts this week’s "Answers From the Lab" podcast. In this episode, Dr. Morice is joined by David McClintock, M.D., a Mayo Clinic pathologist who specializes in computational pathology and AI, to discuss how informatics is enhancing and changing the practice of laboratory medicine.

(0:32):
Before we get started, Dr. McKeon, could you please tell our listeners a little bit about yourself and your background?

(01:13)
How long have you been with the lab?

(01:37)
Could you describe which patients should have this testing and when should it be performed?

(01:50)
Can you tell us a little bit about this unique assay that has not only glycine receptor but also other antibody tests?

(03:12)
We offer this evaluation in both serum and CSF. Can you offer any guidance about when one is more appropriate than the other?

(04:37)
Four different antibodies are included in the stiff-person assay. Why is it most appropriate to evaluate all four? And why is this assay separate from our movement disorder evaluation that includes 20 different antibodies?

(06:19)
Is it important to include all relevant antibodies — but not those would lead physicians down a confusing path?

(07:50)
Can you give our listeners a couple examples of patient presentations that might lead a physician to order this evaluation, and a couple examples where it wouldn't be appropriate?

(09:59)
Can you give a couple examples of when a broader movement disorder evaluation would be appropriate?

(11:11)
How does this new stiff-person evaluation improve upon previous approaches? What will this new test offer to physicians?

(12:35)
What does a positive or negative stiff-person evaluation result mean for a patient's care?

(13:25)
How do alanine receptor positivity and immune responsiveness affect a patient's prognosis?

(13:58)
Can tests other than this offering from Mayo Clinic Laboratories give physicians the same answers?

(14:44)
What is the key takeaway about this test?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt consider how COVID-19 precautions may shift as the omicron surge ebbs, and how labs will adapt as the pandemic continues to change.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt discuss the importance of properly interpretating lab test results, and they review the crucial difference between screening tests and diagnostic tests.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt set the record straight on some common misinformation about COVID-19 that’s been circulating recently.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt look beyond the borders of the United States and discuss the impact COVID-19 is having around the world.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt talk about the increased availability of antigen tests for COVID-19 and review when it’s most appropriate to use an antigen test.

(00:43):

Before we get started, Dr. Yao, could you please provide our listeners with a little bit about you and your background?

(01:24)
Can you provide a brief overview and intended use of this testing?

(02:34)
Could you describe which patients should have this testing and when should it be performed?

(05:07)
Are there other options on the market? And if so, what makes our testing unique?

(06:38)
How are the test results used in patient care?

On this week’s episode of the "Answers From the Lab" podcast, Bobbi Pritt, M.D., is joined by Matthew Binnicker, Ph.D., chair of Mayo Clinic’s Division of Clinical Microbiology. Dr. Pritt and Dr. Binnicker discuss the current state of laboratory testing for COVID-19 amid the omicron surge, as well the status of testing for other common respiratory viruses, including influenza.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt discuss the current surge in COVID-19 cases that’s being fueled by the omicron variant, and what it could mean for the pandemic as we move into 2022.

This week on the podcast, William Morice, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, joins "Answers From the Lab" with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. This episode reflects on how far we have come during the COVID-19 pandemic from creating tests to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus to developing vaccines and therapeutics to combat serious illness.

Full show notes

(00:32):

Before we get started, Dr. Dubey, could you just tell us a little about your role in the lab?

(01:33):

Just in case our audience missed it, you're seeing patients Dr. Dubey, right, and spending considerable time in the lab. So really bench to bedside?

(02:11):

Can you just remind the audience what this test is meant to do?

(04:54):

Can you just elaborate on that a little bit and why we think it's not appropriate to search for a catch all type of evaluation?

(07:47):

What are the red flags that would point to this axonal evaluation being appropriate as a next step?

(11:01):

If we order based on axonal or demyelinating, we don't have to compliment that testing with another motor sensory panel is, am I understanding that correctly?

(13:41):

Can you speak to what is still remaining to round out our neuropathy menu? Eventually we'll have a comprehensive evaluation in those cases where the EMG results are also a little unclear, right?

(15:30):

Do you think that physicians can replace Pavel with the axonal evaluation in every case, or are there still sometimes when Pavel or the paraneoplastic evaluation that we've historically offered is more appropriate?

(16:48):

Can you speak to how axonal has taken a lot of the same antibodies, but improved the testing based upon methodology and specificity? What are some of the key changes that we made for axonal?

(20:03):

What are you most excited about and what do you want physicians to take away with the promotion of this axonal auto-immune evaluation?

This week on the podcast, Brad Karon, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Mayo Clinic’s Division of Clinical Core Laboratory Services, joins "Answers From the Lab" with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. and William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D. This episode focuses on at-home testing for COVID-19, including the types of tests that are available, when they should be used, and how well they work.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt review steps we can take to keep ourselves and the people around us safe as we celebrate the holidays together.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. This week, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt step back and look at where the COVID-19 pandemic stands now, and they consider the potential effects that the omicron variant, expanded testing availability, and the upcoming holidays all could have.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. As the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 gains attention and generates concern, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt discuss what’s being done to learn more about this new variant and the effects it could have on the fight against COVID-19.

(00:32):

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background? What is the role of a genetic counselor in the Genomics Laboratory?

(01:59):

The Genomics Laboratory performs a lot of different genetic tests. What is your area of focus?

(03:00):

Give a brief overview of congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

(05:44):

Which patients should have this testing, and when should it be performed?

(06:35):

Can you tell us a bit about what sets MCL’s CYP21A2 offering apart from other labs?

(08:18):

What are some examples of external results that you have helped resolve?

(10:51):

Do you get calls asking for help interpreting CYP21A2 test results?

This week on "Answers From the Lab," Shannon Bennett, director of Regulatory Affairs for Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, joins William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., to discuss tests that are developed by individual laboratories, rather than commercial manufacturers, and how upcoming regulation may affect those tests.

(00:32):

But before we get started, Dr. Shen, could you provide us with a little bit about you and your background?

(01:15):
So why don't we start our discussion today with having you give us a brief overview of these new hereditary oncology panels.

(03:56):
Can you tell us which patients should have this type of testing and when it should be performed?

(05:31):
Do you want to talk about what other test options are available and how our testing is different or how it compares to this other testing?

(06:51):
So then the last question I have for you today, and maybe the most important is how are these results used in patient care?

This week on the podcast, Elitza Theel, Ph.D., director of Mayo Clinic’s Infectious Diseases Serology Laboratory, joins "Answers From the Lab" with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Pritt and Dr. Theel discuss antibody testing for COVID-19, including why this testing is done and when it’s most useful.

(00:32):

Today, we will be discussing staphylococcal testing at Mayo Clinic Laboratories. Before we start, Dr. Schuetz, could you please provide our listeners with a little bit about you and your background?

(01:02):

As we get started on this initiative, can you provide a brief overview of this testing and its intended use?

(02:36):

Could you describe for us which patients should have this testing and when it should be performed — including how this new testing improves upon previous testing approaches?

(04:47):

What makes our testing unique?

(05:45):

How are the results from this PCR testing used in patient care?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Dr. Pritt discuss the state of COVID-19 now, along with factors that could influence how the pandemic plays out from here.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update with Bobbi Pritt, M.D. In this episode, Dr. Morice talks about his participation in President Biden’s Global COVID-19 Summit and discusses the toll the pandemic has taken on countries around the world.

(00:32):

Before we get into the test itself, Dr. Mills, I'd love for you to tell our audience just a little bit about yourself, your background, your role here at Mayo clinic.

(01:41):

Can you just give our audience a brief overview of the assay?

(05:20):

I really appreciate how the lab has looked at other approaches and decided that this is the best one. Is that an accurate kind of summary.

(06:16):

They'll get the result that they need with just one test, right?

(07:03):

So can you start with helping our physicians understand which patients should get this testing?

(09:05):

You said these immune mediated neuropathies, this test is going to be important for all of those to help, to identify the distinct phenotype of neurofascin155, right, Dr. Mills?

(09:43):

I know you mentioned that these are rare disorders, but how common is the neurofascin antibody in that phenotype?

(11:27):

Dr. Mills, are there any other alternative options regarding this kind of testing?

(13:30):

How is the positive or negative result going to drive the physician in a certain direction regarding prognosis or treatment? Can you share some of that?

(14:48):

Do you think there are any prerequisites that physicians should be testing for these particular things before they would order our neurofascin test or does the neurofascin come pretty early on in the differential?

(15:36):

Can you elaborate a little more on the next steps? What does a more aggressive treatment plan? What does that mean?

(16:09):

We've talked about a lot of the important items, the assay and how it's designed, how this is going to help patient care and how it's unique, but what's your key takeaway here? What are you most excited about?

This week on "Answers From the Lab,” William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is joined for his weekly leadership update by Jason Hipp, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Mayo Clinic’s new Division of Computational Pathology and AI, to discuss how artificial intelligence and other forms of clinical informatics have the potential to transform laboratory medicine and pathology.

(00:32):

Before we get started, Dr. Hasadsri, could you provide us with a little bit about you and your background?

(02:43):
Can you differentiate a little bit between what we offer from a molecular standpoint, but what we offer from a biochemical genetic standpoint in terms of mitochondrial testing?

(06:25):
When you would utilize this mitochondrial testing and what kind of patient treatment is this kind of testing guide? How is this utilized in terms of the way the patient is treated?

(09:10):
How does the testing that Mayo clinic lab offers in terms of mitochondrial differ from what other labs are offering right now in the same area?

(13:33):
Is there anything you can think of that you would want to add to all of this or anything you think that we we've left out? I think you've been very comprehensive, but I just wanted to end with that and just see if there was anything else that you wanted to say?

Resources
GDF15 | Growth Differentiation Factor 15, Plasma

OAU | Organic Acids Screen, Urine

AAQP | Amino Acids, Quantitative, Plasma

TQ10 | Celiac Disease Serology Cascade, Serum

FAPM | Fatty Acid Profile, Mitochondrial (C8-C18), Serum

PYR/PYRC | CPyruvic Acid, Blood/ Pyruvate, Spinal Fluid

PDHC | Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex (PDHC), Fibroblasts

MITOP | Mitochondrial Full Genome Analysis by Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), Varies

MITON | Mitochondrial Nuclear Gene Panel by Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), Varies

MITOT | Combined Mitochondrial Analysis, Mitochondrial Full Genome and Nuclear Gene Panel, Varies

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., talk about the potential for a fall uptick in respiratory viruses, such as the flu and RSV, and explain the protection that an influenza vaccine can offer.

(00:32)
Thanks for that introduction, Dr. Pritt. Today, we're actually going to be discussing T-cell lymphomas with Dr. Andrew Feldman. But before we really get started talking about this disease state, Dr. Feldman, could you provide us with a little bit of background about you and your role here at Mayo Clinic?

(01:10)
So at your work at Mayo clinic, you’re involved in the clinical side and that you're reading all of these patient cases as a meta-pathologist, but you also have a research focus as well. Is that specific to T-cell lymphomas?

(01:38)
That's interesting. That gives you a very unique perspective being that you're involved kind of in both sides of that. So as we talk about T-cell lymphoma, can you just give myself and our listeners kind of a brief overview of this disease state?

(03:48)
So, Dr. Feldman, I find it really interesting as you, you kind of talk about this disease state. I didn't realize there were 30 subtypes of T-cell lymphoma. I mean, that does definitely add to the complexity of this. So can you talk to me really about what are the different tests and assays that you use to sub classify into those 30 types and give our patients an accurate diagnosis?

(06:19)
This never ceases to amaze me about the amount of pathology and hematology and hematologic malignancies in general. There's no one test that answers the questions that we have for these patients. You kind of have to work your way down, putting all of these different pieces together. And I always think about it like a puzzle. So as you're going through and in answering these questions and you put this puzzle together for each patient, when should patients be having this testing performed? Do we do it at diagnosis? Are we following these patients? Kind of talk to me about that process as the patient comes in to see their oncologist for these diseases.

(07:39)
So Dr. Feldman, it's interesting that you talked about all of these tests that we perform to try to accurately diagnose these patients and that we're using them to give the clinician all of those answers that they need to treat their patients. As we come up with that final diagnosis and we give the clinician their answer, how are those results being used in patient care? I've seen a lot of movement in the marketplace lately with new therapies, new gene findings. What are those answers that we're giving those clinicians doing for those patients in the long run?

(11:10)
Just so interesting to me, all the complexities of this and the nuances that go into making sure that that patient gets put on the right therapy that is actually beneficial for them and not harmful in some cases. So last question, just because it's kind of a hot topic right now in the oncology world in general. So, are we monitoring these types of lymphoma patients right now for any sort of minimal residual disease or what kind of monitoring happens for these patients during the course of therapy,

(12:08)
Oh, that's very interesting. And I look forward to that, especially hearing you talk about how some of these therapies are being very successful for these patients. It'll be good to see what does that progression-free survival look like and what does that patient quality of life right after they've gone through these therapies. I really enjoy hearing that we're having these increased successes. So one last question for you before I let you go, you've done a lot of research in the T-cell lymphoma space. It's obviously something that's really near and dear to your heart. You also see a lot of consults and our team sees a lot of consults on T-cell lymphomas, just because of our expertise in this area. Just really quickly tell me about all of the work that you've done. What's the one thing that really stands out. She was like, this was that thing that you found or that, that driver of what, what brings you to work every day that you just are really always excited.

Additional Resourceshttps://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-viewhttps://www.whitehouse.gov/covidplan/

(00:31)

Dr. Moyer, could you provide us a little bit about you and your background?

(01:18)
Would you mind sharing just a brief overview of the focus pharmacogenomics panel?

(03:32)
So coming back to that patient focus, which patients should have this testing? And when do you recommend to be performed?

(05:17)
Can you talk a little bit about what alternative test options are available and how they compare?

(07:58)
Can you comment on how the results from this test are used in patient care?

(11:55)

Any final thoughts you'd leave us with before we wrap up?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, is on the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., are joined by Matthew Binnicker, Ph.D. The three delve into common myths about the COVID-19 vaccines, and emphasize that the vaccines are effective and safe.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., explain COVID-19 vaccine boosters: what they are, how they work, and why they may be helpful in fighting the global pandemic.

Nancy Wengenack, Ph.D., director of the Mycology and Microbacteriology Laboratories in Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast this week. In this episode, Dr. Wengenack and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss the fungal infection Candida auris.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., talk about cases of COVID-19 being seen in people who are fully vaccinated and explain why that doesn’t mean the vaccines aren’t working.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., review where the COVID-19 pandemic stands today and how it may change as we head into the fall.

(00:33)
Could you please tell the audience a little bit about yourself and your background before we get to?

(01:07)
So just as an overview, this new MAG test, can you kind of give us a general idea of the assay, the methodology, and how this could be used clinically?

(01:59)
Can you maybe expound upon the role of the M protein, how it relates to the MAG antibody and also that unique testing methodology that we use?

(03:15)
Can you describe how those will present to our listeners and then when it would be appropriate to order this specific test?

(03:56)
And is the antibody test important or is it pretty clear this DADs phenotype is separate from maybe other types of neuropathies?

(05:25)

I think the other thing that's exciting is just about how the antibody test can help increase confidence for physicians, right?

(05:50)

Can you talk to me about how our test is maybe different than how other existing MAG antibody tests that already exist on the market?

(07:20)

I've also heard you talk about the reference ranges, where, depending on where the cutoffs are, it can increase, I think specificity, is that right, Dr. Mills?

(08:30)

I've also heard to test for SGPG that oftentimes accompanies MAG, but I noticed that we won't be using that complimentary tests. Can you help our listeners understand why?

(09:42)

Can you just elaborate again on how this test can impact patient care and maybe shorten that journey?

(10:56)

So a test result that's positive for MAG, the physician can have a lot of confidence that that's really the underlying etiology?

(11:33)

Are we seeing it more often that patients are going to test positive for the MAG antibody, and that should lead them to getting this M protein tested for using our MASS fixation technology?

(13:14)

Now, if a patient is found to be positive for the M protein as well, uh, how does that change the treatment or prognosis for those DADs phenotype patients?

(14:09)

Dr. Mills, if you could summarize for our physicians this to key takeaway for physicians or patient impact related to this test, what would it be?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., talk about what the recent surge in COVID-19 cases means and how we can all do our part to help prevent further spread.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and

Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss the rise in cases of COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus delta variant in the U.S., especially in areas with low vaccination rates.

This episode of “Answers from the Lab” features Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of Mayo Clinic’s Division of Clinical Microbiology, and William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Mayo’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, discussing how to prevent, diagnose, and treat vector-borne diseases — illness you get from blood-feeding anthropods like ticks and mosquitos — that are more common during the summertime.

(00:32):

Before we get started, Dr. Hopson, could you please share a little about you and your background with our listeners?

(01:16):

Thanks again, Dr. Hopson for joining us today. Could you describe for us what the disaccharidase test is?

(02:32):

Thank you for that great description. For this testing. What specimen is required?

(02:58):

Can You provide a brief overview and intended use of this testing?

(04:16):

Could you specifically state how this test helps you and your patients?

(06:10):

What clinical action is enabled by the results of this test?

(06:45):

As we conclude our interview, how does this test improve upon previous testing approaches?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D. discuss a recent report to Congress that outlined potential laboratory fee reimbursement changes, and what that could mean for labs going forward.

(00:32)

Dr. Dubey, could you just tell the audience a little bit about yourself and your background?

(01:56)
No one knows (better) what tests are necessary for these auto-immune patients than our lab directors who are doing really both things, seeing patients and working in the lab, so I think that's a really unique thing we want to highlight, right?

(03:11)
Can you maybe describe a little bit about that process? Because I think it will help our audience understand what that really means. The integration between the clinic, the research lab and the clinical lab.

(05:54)
Dr. Dubey, can you just elaborate a little bit more on our methodology and the assay that will be used for this important test?

(06:55)
And it sounds like this test is just another example of that, where it's something that not everyone can do, but because of our expertise that we're able to provide a test that is as accurate and yet handles the high throughput that Mayo clinic receives?

(07:57)

Is unique in that Mayo clinic will be the first ones offering this commercially, right?

(08:25)

So can you help physicians understand which kind of patients would be the right candidates for this type of thing?

(09:50)

Do you have any recommendations for other testing that should be done for these patients to rule in or out a specific disease?

(11:14)

Is there any reason that there'd be genetic tests or any other laboratory tests ordered before kelch 11, or are we really just looking for those males with rapid onset attacks, SIA, those, uh, presentation symptoms you described earlier?

(13:12)

We don't want to delay very long before we order this Kelch-11 antibody tests or any of the other antibodies, right?

(14:49)

Will it eventually be added into the movement disorder and the encephalopathy and maybe the other phenotypes specifically?

(15:27)

For the time being physicians will have to order it in addition to the panels, but then eventually it will be included in our comprehensive evaluation?

(15:37)

When those results come back positive, how is this going to impact patient care, prognosis, and treatment plans for the patient?

(17:14)

Are you saying Dr. Dubey, that this is probably going to be as prevalent as some of those Hu, Ri, and Yo antibodies that physicians have known about for you?

(17:50)

Dr. Dubey, is there anything else that you want to leave our physicians with that you're most excited about with this test?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and

Bobbi Pritt, M.D. review where the pandemic stands now, and discuss concerns that continue to linger regarding COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

Sanjeev Sethi, M.D., Ph.D., explains Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ newly developed test to detect neural epidermal growth factor-like 1 protein (NELL-1), a biomarker for membranous nephropathy (MN). The immunohistochemistry assay examines tissue samples for NELL-1 antigen, which are found in 10% to 15% of MN patients. Discovered by Dr. Sethi in 2017, NELL-1 is the second most common antigen associated with MN and is correlated with underlying malignancy.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly update. In this episode, Dr. Morice explains his dual leadership role and how engaging in the business of a reference laboratory informs his work within academic medicine.

(00:31):

But before we get started, Dr. Pritt, could you provide our listeners with a little bit about you and your background?

(01:22):

Can you provide a brief overview and intended use of this testing?

(03:16):

Could you describe what clinical action is enabled by the results of this test?

(05:31):

Now let's discuss which patients should have this testing and when should it be performed?’

(06:56):

Can you now explain, how does this test improve upon previous testing approaches?

(08:04):

Are there other options on the market? If so, what makes our testing different or unique?

(00:31):

Before we get started, Dr. Halling, could you provide us with a little bit about you and your background?

(01:11):

Would you like to give us a basic summary of this test?

(02:43):

So in talking about patients, can you tell us which patients should have this testing? And when it is typically performed?

(05:01):

Do you want to talk about some of the guidelines that were used to shape the genes included in this panel?

(05:36):

Can you tell us a bit about the alternative test options that are available and how they compare to this large panel?

(06:42):

So I know most other panels on the market assess for mutations and fusions. Is there a reason why our panel also looks at amplifications and are certain subset of the genes?

(07:29):

So do you want to talk about how this panel offers some benefits over other large panels in the market?

(08:46):

Let's talk a little bit about how the results of this test can be used in patient care.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, hosts this episode of the "Answers From the Lab" podcast. He’s joined by Gianluca Pettiti, senior vice president and president of specialty diagnostics at Thermo Fisher Scientific to discuss their organizations’ collaboration and its value for patients.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss the future of laboratory medicine in a post-pandemic world.

(00:32):

Before we get started, I'm really interested, could you give me a little bit of background on yourself and, uh, just where you work at Mayo Clinic?

(01:31):

So before we start talking about the tests, can you just tell me a little bit about TMA and in that disease state itself?

(03:08):

As we talk very specifically about this testing, so can you give me a brief overview of the assays we're using here at Mayo clinic to diagnose this disease state?

(05:12):

So this testing is really comprehensive and that it covers what you said, classic and alternative, correct? And that it's kind of making sure that anything that's outside of the norm, we're picking up in that one comprehensive test so you're not having to kind of pick through bits and pieces with a bunch of single individual tests. Am I correct and understand kind of how you brought that up?

(08:39):

As you get those results back, how does that affect how you treat a patient? What are the treatments for them as, as you go through this, once you've made that decision?

(09:35):

So there's a lot of movement in this space that is really probably driving the need for a lot of understanding this complement testing and seeing that full clinical picture, because you have to know you now have different therapies to choose from?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., explain Mayo Clinic Laboratories, review its history, and describe how its work furthers Mayo Clinic’s mission.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., reflect on the dramatic advances that have taken place in laboratory medicine during the pandemic and what those changes might mean for the future.

(00:41)
Before we get started talking about the panels, Dr. McKeon, could you provide a little background about yourself and your role here at Mayo Clinic?

(01:23)
I think it's important for our audience to know that you're both seeing patients and working in the lab, which helps us at Mayo Clinic to have a real understanding of what patients and physicians need to get an accurate diagnosis. Is that right?

(02:09)
I know there's a lot of panels that are impacted, Dr. McKeon. But could you give an overview, maybe talk about, in general, what changes are happening, so that our audience gets an understanding of what's going to change.

(06:47)
You said that the primary antibodies that are being removed are calcium channel, striations. You said an alpha three antibody. Are those the primary ones that we're removing from most panels, or did I miss a couple?

(07:24)
So our audience will be able to see on our website, a chart, which panels are going to include which of these antibodies, but it sounds like a couple are being removed entirely. And then a couple of the other ones — the alpha three, and of course PQ, and Lambert Eaton, and movement disorder — are going to stick around because they're specific to that phenotype, but they're being removed from the other panels. Correct?

(08:29)
Why did we decide to remove them now? And are you worried about anything in the future — the way our panels will be designed when these antibodies are removed?

(11:27)
So can you talk about ways that Mayo Clinic is partnering and available to help physicians pick the right test, to make sure that they're getting the antibodies needed and in the right context?

(14:30)
To wrap up Dr. McKeon, can you just share with our listeners what you're most excited about — or maybe the key takeaway for physicians that have used Mayo's testing and maybe are apprehensive about these changes, or maybe someone that hasn't ordered Mayo Clinic's testing before, but these changes could be an opening for them to utilize Mayo Clinic's resources.

(15:39)
Is there anything you want to add about antibodies on the horizon that will be added to our panels, Dr. McKeon?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in light of the recent pause in distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

(00:55)
Can you tell us what you've been working on since last May?

(03:19)
How many assays did you end up validating just for detection of that single virus?

(04:36)
How many specimens at the peak of the pandemic were you able to test in one day?

(05:29)
So can you tell us a little bit more about this test that you're using for sequencing?

(08:18)
How would a clinician who orders this test then use the results to change how they're caring for the patient?

(10:22)
So are there other tests like this on the market for actual clinical use?

(11:18)
We continue to learn more and more about COVID-19. We've now tackled identification and sequencing. What's next?

(13:03)
How have you been keeping yourself healthy and maintaining that healthy work-life balance?

(13:53)
Is there anything else you'd like to share with our listeners or viewers today?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss vaccine passports. They review how proof of vaccination could be used along with other tools, like testing, to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

(00:34) I'm joined here today by Dr. Chris Klein. Sir, would you mind introducing yourself to our audience and telling them a little bit about your background?

(1:19) I don't want this to be a review of the paper, sir, but could you just give maybe a recap of one or some of the key takeaways?

(5:59) It was one of the first tests discovered, but we're not satisfied with the status quo and we continue to look for ways to make it better?

(6:41) Can you just help the audience understand why that's necessary and why it's the best thing for patient care?

(9:30) I think the role of MuSK is well understood, but it is a slight change in that it's going to automatically reflex. But the point of that is also to reduce turnaround time, right?

(11:17) It sounds like it'd be hard to give a definitive diagnosis without the testing that we're offering right now, right?

(13:13) What advice would you give for physicians or even laboratorians that might be trying to use our tests most efficiently?

(17:00) What would you say Dr. Klein, to conclude, that you're most excited about regarding these changes that may have occurred?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss the current rate of COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S. and address common questions about the vaccines.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., take a look at issues contributing to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. They address common myths surrounding the vaccines and discuss vaccine safety.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. This week, Dr. Morice talks with Bobbi Pritt, M.D., about his career and the path he took to his current role as chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. March is Women's History Month, and in this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., mark the occasion by discussing the legacy of female leaders at Mayo Clinic.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., consider how laboratory medicine will continue to evolve to meet health care needs beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss the changing face of laboratory medicine in the time of COVID-19.

(00:43)
Could you please provide us with a little background on yourself, sir?

(01:05)
So Dr. McKeon, can you just give us a brief overview on what this test is?

(02:18)
And you mentioned the CRMP-5 antibody and recoverin antibody. Are those the only two antibodies involved in this particular evaluation?

(02:43)
So those two antibodies, are they both tested up front ? And then, if so, are there any reflexes in this evaluation?

(03:25)
What will the results look like when a physician orders this test? Will they just get a positive or negative, or are there a titer levels that are more significant? Can you help us?

(04:24)
This testing, like a lot of our autoimmune testing, is going to confirm that diagnosis based on the patient presentation that you described just a few minutes ago. Is that right, sir?

(05:21)
Do you have any other advice on when physicians should be ordering this test?

(06:25)
So what testing is currently available on the market? Maybe you can explain that, and how is ours different than what's currently available?

(07:08)
And why haven't we, sir?

(07:40)
I know recoverin is a brand new test for us. Is that also going to be available as a stand-alone where clients can order that? And then maybe, if so, could you elaborate on when that would be appropriate to order by itself?

(08:45)
Are there any other complementary tests that our audience should know about — maybe separate from autoimmune testing — that help to guide a diagnosis of paraneoplastic retinopathy or cancer-associated retinopathy?

(09:58)
I think that's really clear. But just to review, is the autoimmune testing ordered before those other tests, at the same time, or after?

(10:29)
I think a good place to end is how this testing is going to help patient care. Referring back to the struggles in this area with this patient population currently, and then how our test is going to be able to help direct a diagnosis or maybe prognosis and treatment. Can you talk about those things?

(12:53)
Are there any additional patient presentations that have been found with recoverin?

(14:22)
So if there are any questions about when to order this test or what to do with the results, they can really reach out to us anytime. Right, Dr. McKeon?

Matthew Binnicker, Ph.D., vice chair of practice for Mayo Clinic's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, joins William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, for this week's "Answers From the Lab" leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Binnicker and Dr. Morice discuss the impact that emerging COVID-19 variants could have on virus testing, vaccine and spread.

(00:55)
Dr. Murray, as we get started today, could you tell us a little bit more about yourself and your background here?

(01:50)
As you developed this assay, can you just give us a brief overview of it and how it works?

(04:07)
As you compare those two methods, what are some of the things that you're seeing that are the advantages of this new test?

(07:02)
When should patients really have this testing, and when are we performing it here at Mayo?

(11:54)
What do you think is one of the most interesting findings as you've gone through this whole process and work to develop and validate this testing? Which one really stands out to you more than anything?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss the new nationwide strategy that the Biden administration is rolling out to combat COVID-19.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., tackle myths surrounding COVID vaccines and talk about where to find reliable vaccine information.

(00:50)
Would you be able to tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

(01:26)
So would you be able to provide us a brief overview of this assay?

(02:16)
When thinking about the application of this test, which patients should have this testing, and when should it be performed?

(03:09)
So after the test has been performed, how are the results used to guide patient care?

(04:33)
So what alternative testing options are available, and how might those compare to pancreatic elastase?

(09:32)
When you're meeting with a patient, and perhaps their parents or guardian, how do you typically explain why you're having this test?

(10:47)
Is there anything else you'd like to share with us today about this test?

Resources

Pancreatic Elastase, Feces (Mayo Test ID: ELASF)
Pancreatic Disease Testing

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss potential health care reform and other changes that could affect laboratory medicine in U.S. in the coming years.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss the new COVID-19 variants that are emerging and how those variants could have an impact on the pandemic going forward.

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., look back at how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped laboratory medicine throughout 2020.

(00:50)
So maybe we'll just start with a simple question. If you could tell us a little bit about you and your background?

(01:21)
Let's go into, then, the dendritic cell enumeration test. What is this exactly?

(03:46)
What's innovative or different about this test?

(04:56)
What would you say is the primary use case of this test?

(06:02)
So how would you foresee this test being used?

(08:06)
So do you think that we'll be using this test for perhaps our very sick individuals here at Mayo Clinic?

(08:37)
So how would someone order this test? Is it available outside of Mayo Clinic, as well?

(08:52)
Is there anything else that you'd like to share about this whole process and coming up with this really novel test?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., talk about the increased interest in health care professions, including those in laboratory medicine, that has been spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tell us a little bit about your background and about yourself.

Give us a brief overview of what are the previous approaches that have been used in the past for multiple myeloma testing.

So can you take a moment and talk to me about the new approach and the new algorithm that your laboratory is working on implementing?

So how does this new approach really benefit both hospitals across the country that we serve and the patients that they're trying to treat?

What else is the lab working on when it comes to our multiple myeloma testing and our algorithms?

ResourcesPlasma Cell Proliferative Disorder [A Test in Focus]

Plasma Cell Proliferative Disorder, FISH, Bone Marrow (Mayo test ID: PCPDS)

Mayo Algorithmic Approach for Stratification of Myeloma and Risk-Adapted Therapy Report, Bone Marrow (Mayo test ID: MSMRT)

Chromosome Analysis, Hematologic Disorders, Bone Marrow (Mayo test ID: CHRBM)

Mellors et al.: Metaphase cytogenetics and plasma cell proliferation index for risk stratification in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Blood Advances. 2020;4(10): 2236-2244

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., debunk common face mask misconceptions in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anja Roden, M.D., a medical director for Mayo Clinic's Immunohistochemistry Laboratory, joins this episode of the "Answers From the Lab" podcast. Dr. Roden and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss the development and evaluation of immunohistochemistry in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues.

https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-research-confirms-critical-role-of-masks-in-preventing-covid-19-infection/

(00:48)
Could you provide our listeners with a little bit about you and your background?

(01:56)
There's a fair amount of genetic hearing loss tests out there. Why did we decide to develop this one here at Mayo?

(02:51)
Can you tell me a little bit about the process that actually went into developing the test — the different research and that sort of thing?

(04:03)
What specific need do we meet with this particular test?

(06:22)
How were these results used in patient care? And what I mean by that is, when you're talking about the downstream management of the patient, what are some of the different treatments that can result from the use of this test?

(08:16)
How does our test compare to some of these tests that are out there right now?

(09:48)
Where in the patient's journey would this test be used? I know it's a diagnostic test and not a screening test, but could you expand on that a little more for me?

William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss the latest on COVID-19 vaccines.

(01:07)
Has the utility or the role of antibody testing changed or evolved in any way for you over the past months or since the pandemic began?

(04:06)
What do we know about the antibody response to the virus and how is our knowledge grown in that area? I think one question that people have is do we all make antibodies to the virus and how long do those antibodies last, and will they protect us from re-infection?

(06:41)
You mentioned briefly there's a neutralizing antibody test that recently received FDA emergency use authorization. Can you tell us a little bit about that and how you envision that test being used?

(10:33)
Can we reach herd immunity based on natural infection alone?

(11:56)
Once we have a vaccine, do you envision antibody testing being used to confirm that vaccination was successful? That people develop an antibody response because of the vaccine?

(14:10)
And would you say, out of all the antibody tests, how many of them are spike — that detect antibodies to the spike protein? It's all of them, right?

ResourcesCOVID-19 Testing Resource Center

The Importance of Antibody Testing in Addressing COVID-19

COVID-19 Testing

Frequently Asked Questions: COVID-19 Serology Testing

William Morice, II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., review the treatment options currently available for COVID-19.

(00:41)
Dr. Bornhorst, could you provide our listeners with a little bit about you and your background?

(01:15)
Can you provide a brief overview of the alpha-gal galactose-alpha 1,3 galactose assay?

(04:19)
So I understand that most people obtain this allergy primarily from ticks and meat-derived products, and that it can cause symptoms such as hives, itching, difficulty breathing, and other unpleasant reactions. With that being said, can you tell us which patients should have this testing?

(06:11)
Do you know if there are other testing options available?

(07:17)
Can you share what factors determine which tests should be used and when?

William Morice, II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss herd immunity and COVID-19.

(00:47)
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your role has changed since COVID-19?

(02:02)
How do you feel that testing will help Mayo and hospitals respond to this coming season's challenge?

(03:38)
Can you tell us a little bit about the algorithm and how it helps to address perhaps potential resource shortages, knowing that we probably can't test everyone for everything all the time, and that may not be the best approach anyway?

(05:50)
In your mind, what significance does it have if there's a positive or a negative result from the different tests that we'll be doing in the algorithm for SARS-CoV-2, influenza and RSV?

(08:18)
But what about SARS-CoV-2 and influenza? Were you able to break that down at all for directing testing?

(09:01)
The symptoms for influenza and COVID-19 are so similar, would it be appropriate to say that any symptomatic patient you would recommend testing for both at the same time, but RSV testing would only be added on to that algorithm for the patients that are at specific risk for RSV disease, like our young kids and our immunocompromised folks?

(09:51)
So in using a triage system, would there be some patients that would go down the branches of the algorithm for testing versus those that wouldn't require testing?

(10:21)
So out of all of this, what lessons have you learned that other health care professionals would benefit from?

(11:13)
Have you seen anything inspiring that you've noticed during the pandemic?

(12:29)
Is there anything else that you'd like to share with our audience today?

ResourcesCOVID-19 Testing Resource Center

COVID-19 & influenza testing algorithm arms Mayo Clinic for the upcoming flu season

Experts from Mayo Clinic featured in CAP Today

William Morice, II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., review the testing options currently available to detect COVID-19.

(00:45)
Could you just provide our listeners with a little bit of information about you and your background?

(01:00)
The laboratory recently made some updates to this testing for minimal residual disease. Can you just give us a brief overview of that assay?

(03:22)
So these patients go through these treatments, and at what point do they really need this testing, or when should it be considered by clinicians to perform it?

(05:18)
What brought the laboratory to flow cytometry for this MRD test for this particular disease state? Why did we not choose those other methods?

(09:44)
So hearing you talk about how this test is serving the entire patient population, how are these results for this minimal residual disease test used for patient care?

Resources:https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/considerations-for-events-gatherings.html

Speaker 1: (00:39)
Can you start by sharing a little bit about yourself and your expertise for our listeners?

Speaker 1: (01:12)
We're in this pandemic with COVID-19, and I'm hearing about people having hematologic responses to COVID-19. Can you tell us a little bit about what these responses are?

Speaker 2: (04:53)
Here at Mayo Clinic, do we have an assay or a testing profile that could assist physicians who are dealing with COVID-19 and their patients and help them look at how their patients are doing?

Speaker 2: (07:09)
Why is this testing important and would it affect COVID-19 patient management?

Speaker 2: (08:49)
What challenges have you encountered during this pandemic and how have you overcome them?

Speaker 2: (10:04)
Is there anything you've seen that you found has been particularly inspiring during the pandemic?

Speaker 2: (12:18)
Is there anything else that you'd like to share with our audience?

William Morice, II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. With a surge in new cases happening now, and flu season coming soon, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss the importance of continuing to follow safety precautions to help prevent COVID-19.

Speaker 1: (01:20)
Today we want to talk about the MDM2 gene amplification assay. Can you give us a little bit of an overview of that test?

Speaker 1: (02:16)
Is there a certain subset of patients that should have this testing, and when should it be performed on those patients?

Speaker 1: (02:50)
So for those patients then, are there any other alternative test options that are available for them, or how else might these patients be diagnosed, and how does this specific task compare with the other options out there?

Speaker 1: (03:59)
It sounds like this test is going to be used primarily for a diagnosis in this specific case. Then how does that impact patient care?

Speaker 1: (04:50)
Can you explain this in a way that a patient would understand why this test would be done? ResourcesMDM2 (12q15) Amplification, Well-Differentiated Liposarcoma/Atypical Lipomatous Tumor, FISH, Tissue

Full Show Notes:

Speaker 1: (00:49)
Can you share a little bit about yourself and how your role has changed since COVID-19 started?

Speaker 1: (01:52)
What kind of shortages have you seen in our laboratories? And maybe you could tell us a little bit about some innovative solutions your team's been working on to combat those shortages.

Speaker 1: (04:41)
Have you seen shortages in other areas of testing besides COVID testing?

Speaker 1: (07:35)
Are there any lessons you've learned from this whole pandemic that other laboratory professionals would benefit from hearing about?

Speaker 1: (09:06)
Has there been anything inspiring throughout this pandemic that you've noticed that you'd like to share with our listeners?

Speaker 1: (10:14)
Is there anything else that you'd like to share with our audience today?

William Morice, II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the "Answers From the Lab" podcast for his weekly leadership update. In this episode, Dr. Morice and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., explain the difference between collecting a specimen sample at home to be used for COVID-19 testing versus performing a COVID-19 test at home. They also discuss factors that can affect test results and how to ensure accurate testing.

Resources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25502528/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3538476/

William Morice, II, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and President of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the Answers from the Lab podcast for his weekly leadership update. On this episode, Dr. Morice joins Dr. Bobbi Pritt to discuss the different forms of masking that are available and which type you should consider based on your state guidelines, in addition to the scientific studies performed.

Timestamps

Dr. Bobbi Pritt: (00:45)
Can you share a little bit about yourself and how your role has changed since COVID-19?

Dr. Bobbi Pritt: (02:10)
Has there been any additional quality management practices that have been put into place since the start of COVID-19?

Dr. Bobbi Pritt: (04:13)
Do you feel like these practices will continue to be followed going forward? Or do you think that some are just specific to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Dr. Bobbi Pritt: (06:55)
What challenges have you encountered and how have you overcome them?

Dr. Bobbi Pritt: (09:15)
What is something inspiring that you've noticed during the pandemic?

Dr. Bobbi Pritt: (10:49)
What lessons have you learned that other laboratory professionals would benefit from the COVID-19 pandemic?

Dr. Bobbi Pritt: (11:38)
Is there anything else that you'd like to share with our audience today, Jill?

William Morice, II, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the Answers from the Lab podcast for his weekly leadership update. On this episode, Dr. Morice discusses how we can approach the upcoming flu season, and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., shares the differences between screening and surveillance approaches to testing for COVID-19.

William Morice, II, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and President of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the Answers from the Lab podcast for his weekly leadership update. On this episode, Dr. Morice discusses how we can prepare for the upcoming influenza season and take necessary precautions as we approach Labor Day weekend.

Resources:
https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

William Morice, II, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and President of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, joins the Answers from the Lab podcast for his weekly leadership update. On this episode, Dr. Morice discusses how leadership practices have shifted since the onset of COVID-19, the creation of our command center, and how the team has made significant changes to ensure there is an increase in open communication with staff.

Resources:COVID-19 Resource Center

Timestamps:

Speaker 1: (01:03)
Do you want to tell us a little bit for the listeners, what herd immunity is?

Speaker 1: (02:49)
With your immunology background, if you have any thoughts on what would be the ideal way in your mind?

Speaker 1: (06:21)
So it does show the power of the immune response, but it is that question of, is it going to be antibodies? Is it going to be T cells? Is it going to be a mixture of both and can a vaccine elicit a protective response from those different branches of the immune system: cellular and humoral?

Speaker 1: (08:37)
What do you think about other tests as far as detecting T cell responses? What do you see on the horizon?

Resources:

COVID-19 Resource Center

Timestamps:

Speaker 2: (01:12)
Where does it all start?

Speaker 2: (04:32)
How many followers have you?

Speaker 2: (05:59)
So what would your advice be to someone who might listen to this and want to follow in your footsteps?

Speaker 2: (10:41)
So you've been doing this now for a long time, 600 cases on your blog, do you have a few favorites?

Resources:

Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasite Blog

Twitter: @parasitegal

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParasiteGal/

01:21
Could you give us the updates on what you see the state of testing to be today?

01:53
What are some of the new things on the horizon? You know, we're hearing about pooling and antigen testing.

08:34
What are your thoughts on that?

Timestamps:

Speaker 1: (01:14)
Can you tell our listeners about the state of testing today?

Speaker 1: (05:14)
You've been posting on Twitter, some really interesting statistics, do you want to share some of those?

Speaker 1: (09:46)
Do you have designer masks, Bill, and do you match your outfit for the day?

Resources:https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

00:44
So can you tell me a little bit about what your normal role was at Mayo Clinic before COVID happened? Then how has that changed as the COVID pandemic started and progressed?

02:06
So, what are some of the current challenges facing the supply chain and what have been some of Mayo Clinic’s strategies to successfully navigate through these evolving supply chain shortages and demands for supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic?

05:51
What are some of the innovative ways that Mayo Clinic has adjusted to overcome some supply chain shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic?

10:01
So, Dr. Jannetto, is there anything else that you think would be of interest to our group?

Resources:
https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

(01:01)
Can you tell us how lab testing capacity is in general at Mayo Clinic and across the United States?

(03:34)
We’re trying to balance how we test for the routine stuff, in addition to meeting COVID demands?

(04:40)
How should we be using testing to manage this COVID-19 outbreak?

(06:36)
So the partnership you mentioned, do you want to tell us a little bit more about that? Because it was recently announced and not everyone may have seen those announcements with what we're doing with Delta.

Resources:
https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

Timestamps:
Speaker 1: (01:00)
Perhaps you could start off by just telling us how is this test different than the other antibody tests? What is a neutralizing antibody to begin with?

Speaker 1: (02:40)
Can you tell us about the new neutralizing antibody test then and how it came about?

Speaker 1: (03:39)
What did you do specifically to make it a clinical test?

Speaker 1: (04:50)
How many tests then can be completed each day?

Speaker 1: (05:11)
How would you incorporate this test into the clinical workflow then? Would there first be a screen to make sure the patient has antibodies to begin with?

Speaker 1: (06:12)
Can you tell us a little bit about the science about how that works and how this live virus comes into play?

Speaker 1: (08:10)
How will this assay be used now that we have it and should everyone be tested?

Speaker 1: (09:53)
Do you have any idea of how many people that have antibodies, actually have neutralizing antibodies specifically?

Speaker 1: (11:19)
Are there other laboratories that can offer this type of testing?

Speaker 1: (13:07)
Are there any other ways that this test could be used at this time?

Resources:https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

01:16 What are you thinking when you look to the future for laboratory testing for COVID-19?

03:05 What are your thoughts on that? What would be some ways that we could predict who would be at risk for severe disease and really might go downhill quickly?

04:47 So should we be testing for T-cells? Are there any T-cell marker tests in the future?

05:41 Can you tell us a little bit about that from your view as our chair?

Resources:
https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

Timestamps:

Speaker 1: (00:39)
So let's start by talking about the new neutralizing antibody test. Can you tell us a little bit about this test and how it came about?

Speaker 1: (04:55)
So we are screening all of the employees throughout the Mayo Clinic enterprise. Can you tell us about this and the scope and the purpose behind this program?

Speaker 1: (07:26)
So a lot of things to consider, I'm sure our listeners are now saying, so how did you roll it out? Or what are the plans?

Resources:https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

Full Show Notes (Timestamps)

Speaker 1: (00:56)
So there continues to be a lot of interest in antibody testing for COVID-19. Can you refresh our memories on what antibody testing is?

Speaker 1: (02:12)
Now that we are actually six months into this outbreak, what is our understanding about using serologic testing? Will it be the magic bullet that will allow us to go back to work?

Speaker 1: (05:26)
Can you explain that to everyone in ways that we could all understand? What does this mean exactly? How does this impact serologic testing and interpretation of results?

Speaker 1: (09:29)
So given this information on the positive predictive value and how it's influenced by both the prevalence and specificity of a test, have government agencies provided guidance on how to select and interpret serologic results for COVID-19?

Resources:https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

Full Show Notes (Timestamps)

Speaker 1: (00:50)
So this is now our six months in a world with COVID-19, which is just amazing. What is new in terms of testing at Mayo Clinic Laboratories for COVID-19?

Speaker 1: (02:23)
It has the potential to really help a lot of patients, if you can show that giving convalescent plasma is going to be helpful to our patients struggling with COVID-19.

Speaker 1: (04:04)
So as chair for our department, what are some of your considerations now when balancing the huge volumes of COVID testing we're doing with all these other necessary laboratory tests?

Speaker 1: (08:16)
How has that impacted our laboratory operations and being able to provide that critical testing for our patients?

Speaker 2: (09:37)
COVID-19 is still clearly ravaging the globe. I think there'll be a renewed focus to make sure that access to both the diagnostics and the care is equitable across this country and across the world and on the heels of that, to really address some of the health care disparity issues that need to be addressed. So as painful as it is, the only way we can make meaning out of that pain is to actually understand the source and to really drive and make meaningful changes.

01:23
How do you envision that we could use these two types of tests to help restart our economy?

07:04
When you test one day, what does that mean?

08:59
What can the laboratory do to help guide how our tests are used for clinical decision making public policy and even help guide how future tests are created so that they can best serve our patients?

Resources:

https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/
https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/2020/05/18/client-virtual-town-hall/

00:53
So you were the division chair of clinical microbiology at the time that the COVID-19 pandemic began. How did COVID-19 affect you in that?

05:49
So how did COVID-19 impact this society that we call ASM?

10:32
Our department chair, Dr. Bill Morice, asked you to lead a COVID-19 biospecimens group for Mayo Clinic. What does this group do?

01:46
So Dr. Morice, how have you seen the laboratory response evolve along with the pandemic?

04:01
Do you feel that Mayo Clinic is in a unique position to contribute to testing and the dialogue around testing given that we have our local practice as well as our international reference laboratory practice?

Dr. Pritt: (02:13)
Could you tell us a little bit more about your podcast and what people can expect when they tune in?

Dr. Kreuter: (06:02)
What can listeners to Answers from the Lab podcast expect to hear in the coming weeks and months?

Dr. Pritt: (07:24)
Since you've been doing this for a while, do you have any lessons that you'd like to share from your podcasting experience?

Resources:
Lab Medicine Rounds Podcast: https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/podcast/lab-medicine-rounds/

(00:49)
Things continue to move really quickly on the COVID-19 testing front, and now the big news is really the government is transitioning to push testing coordination out to the states. We'd love to get your input on this and what advantages you see to this approach.

(03:36)
Let's talk about some of those concerns you may have about this approach.

(07:39)
Seems like we're optimistic that things are working well, but still some challenges to face here.

(08:22)
So in reflecting on this scenario and how it's unfolded, are there any things that you would do differently or any lessons that you would take from this approach?

Resources:
https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

Timestamps
Speaker 1: (01:17)
Can you tell us why that decision was made and how you went about bringing up this new test?

Speaker 1: (04:27)
We went with our laboratory developed test, which was essential to get us up and running, but had a limited throughput. Then you've basically tripled our capacity by adding these additional platforms and tests.

Speaker 1: (05:27)
Now I also know when you verified this, you really turned it around amazingly fast. Can you tell us a bit about that?

Speaker 1: (06:46)
That is amazing. Now you mentioned the assay has received EUA—emergency use authorization—from the Food and Drug Administration or FDA. Now what specimens does this assay have EUA for?

Speaker 1: (07:31)
Are you adding additional specimen types to what you're accepting for this assay?

Speaker 1: (09:23)
How are you using this assay today and what is your total capacity for testing?

Speaker 1: (11:41)
Now you've also brought in another test. How was that decision made and do you want to tell us a little bit about that?

Speaker 1: (14:34)
Now, I don't believe before this that you were working 24/7, is that correct?

Resources:

https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

(01:19)
I think really of interest is this new partnership with Minnesota and state leadership to provide COVID-19 testing for all Minnesotans as needed. One of the first partnerships in nation of this sort. Could you just touch on that and tell us where are we right now in making this happen?

Resources:
https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

(00:50)
Can you explain for our listeners what a drive up phlebotomy site is and how this process works for patients and staff?

(02:46)
Can you tell our listeners what the drivers were for having this nontraditional suboptimal system?

(03:47)
So what were some of the challenges you faced when setting this service up and how were you able to overcome them?

(04:47)
So how is it going so far then? Is it working as expected and do you think the patients and staff like the new process?

Resources:
https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

(00:57)
Can you tell us more about this partnership and how it evolved?

(05:10)
So can you tell us a little bit about what are those goals? What are the desired outcomes from this new partnership?

(06:22)
What is Mayo clinic doing and Mayo clinic laboratories in ramping up to be able to provide this.

Resources:
https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

(00:47)
So there are a lot of tests on the market now for detecting COVID-19 can you tell us what the main categories of these tests are?

(01:30)
Let's delve into those a little bit more. Let's start with the molecular test. Can you explain to our audience how that works?

(03:32)
Because there's so many different types of PCR tests out there right now, can you tell us a little bit about the differences and specifically how these different types of tests may compare to one another in terms of accuracy and turnaround time?

(06:12)
Dr. Binnicker, can you tell us when and how physicians can use PCR to diagnose patients with COVID-19?

(08:00)
So it sounds like, again, just to confirm, the PCR test is really for diagnosing that patient during that early stage when they have symptoms?

(08:55)
Can you tell us more about serologic testing and how that works?

(09:53)
So when would you use serology?

(10:57)
So can you just summarize just for our audience again, how these two tests work together?

(01:24)
When did you first realize that the virus was likely to be a problem in the United States? And how did you respond at that time?

(03:44)
How did you progress then when you realized that we did need to step up our efforts and start putting a team together? What were your plans for that and who did you pick to represent the individuals for that team?

(05:47)
So how did your efforts change as the pandemic progressed and what steps did you take as a leader?

(09:23)
So what do operations look like today? How has this been running?

(12:00)
Reflecting back now with all of these challenges, do you have any lessons you'd like to share with our audience about being a leader during an emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic?

Resources:
https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/covid19/

A discussion with Dr. Elli Theel, the Laboratory Director of the Infectious Diseases Serology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, who led the efforts to evaluate and implement the antibody test for COVID-19. Topics covered include an overview of antibody testing, why Mayo is testing for IgG only, ordering scenarios, sensitivity and specificity of the Mayo test, a comparison with other serology test offerings, and what will be included with the test result.

Coming Soon: Answers from the Lab, a podcast sharing Mayo Clinic knowledge and advancements on the state of testing, science, and people who are making it happen behind the scenes.