The second Alpha Laboratories seminar on Diagnostics for Digestive Health was held on the 17th October at the Academy of Medical Sciences in London.
The day brought together gastroenterologists, consultant biochemists and biomedical scientists to hear presentations from leaders in this field.
Dr Steve Smith and Prof Callum Fraser discussed the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and the move from Faecal Occult Blood testing to Faecal Immunochemical Test for bowel cancer.
Dr Arne Roseth and Dr Jeremy Tibble both took part. They each pioneered the use of Calprotectin testing for IBD/IBS patients. However, despite having written several papers together (some published over 20 years ago), they had never actually met in person prior to this event! Both Dr Roseth and Dr Tibble are consultant gastroenterologists. Dr Tibble discussed various Calprotectin papers, focussing on his most recent work on Calprotectin in primary care. Dr Roseth discussed new advances in Calprotectin extraction and testing.
Prof Roy Sherwood, a consultant biochemist from Kings College Hospital, went through recent papers on Calprotectin as well as different types of Calprotectin for different clinical indications.
Miss Jane French gave an excellent presentation on her work on the EQA schemes for Calprotectin, FOB and FOT. She certainly has faced some challenges in getting the sample matrices to work!!!
Last but by no means least, Mrs Zehra Arkir, a clinical scientist from Guys, discussed her work in introducing anti-TNFα monitoring within the hospital. Interest is increasing in this new and emerging diagnostic test for monitoring the anti-TNFα drug level and anti-drug antibodies. This simple range of tests can help customise patient drug therapy regimes potentially saving the NHS a large amount of money within the fields of Gastroenterology, Rheumatology and Dermatology. Mrs Arkir showed data on how the test is improving patient’s lives whilst helping to reduce healthcare costs.
The feedback from the event has been extremely positive and Alpha Labs has been asked to run something similar again in the future. The plan is to hold another event in late spring/early summer 2015.
For any information on Calprotectin, anti-TNFα monitoring or FIT, please contact us.
