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    Science Saturday: Research News Roundup-June 2018

Diabetes and regenerative medicine researcher looking into a microscope in a laboratory

Each month, we publish Mayo Clinic's Research News Roundup. This article includes brief summaries and links to news releases from the preceding month that discuss some of our latest medical research. It also connects readers to related resources. By Elizabeth Zimmermann
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This month's Roundup includes a number of findings related to pancreatic cancer and other gastrointestinal disorders, as well as other Mayo Clinic research.

3D image of human body organs with the pancreas highlighted
Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer can develop elevated blood sugar levels up to three years before their cancer diagnosis, according to the results of a study by Mayo Clinic researchers published the journal Gastroenterology.

frozen DNA test tubes
Six genes contain mutations that may be passed down in families, substantially increasing a person’s risk for pancreatic cancer. That's according to Mayo Clinic research published in the June 19 edition of the JAMA. However, because researchers found these genetic mutations in patients with no family history of pancreatic cancer, they are recommending genetic testing for all pancreatic cancer patients as the new standard of care.

bacteria cells
Genetically engineered bacteria are showing promise as a new treatment for constipation, researchers at the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine have discovered in a mouse study. The finding is significant in part because there are few approved constipation remedies on the market. The research is published in Cell Host & Microbe.

test tubes containing blood samples
A group of researchers from Mayo Clinic and Exact Sciences Corporation have completed a phase II study comparing a set of DNA markers to alpha fetoprotein as a method to test for liver cancer. The researchers presented their findings June 5 at the 2018 Digestive Disease Week conference in Washington, D.C.

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