New Diagnostic Test for Leukemia Gives Faster Results

A new method for a cell-sorting technique may allow physicians to diagnose rare leukemia in hours instead of weeks, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and University of California, San Francisco. The approach builds on flow cytometry, in which fluorescently labeled antibodies classify and sort cells based on proteins displayed on their outer surface by creating small holes in the cell membrane prior to sorting. Researchers say the technique is likely to extend to other disorders in which cell-signaling pathways are disrupted.