Answers from the Lab

(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?

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.