Girls with elevated urinary concentrations of methyl paraben and propyl paraben biomarkers at age nine showed signs of entering puberty earlier than their peers, according to a UC Berkeley study focused on possible adverse impacts of personal-care product use. More news in brief.     

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease remains a particularly difficult disease to accurately diagnose, with little improvement over the last 30 years. UK-based Glyconics Ltd. hopes to reliably detect COPD with an easy, five-minute, in-office procedure that uses a sputum sample to identify a handful of proprietary biomarkers specific for the disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease remains a particularly difficult disease to accurately diagnose, with little improvement over the last 30 years. UK-based Glyconics Ltd. hopes to reliably detect COPD with an easy, five-minute, in-office procedure that uses a sputum sample to identify a handful of proprietary biomarkers specific for the disease.

3DBiopsy LLC thinks its technology could significantly improve a physician’s ability to diagnose and treat patients suspected of having prostate cancer. It has developed a complete biopsy system that utilizes the start-up’s proprietary software to transform ultrasound or MRI imaging into 3D models of the prostate and give physicians a more accurate guide.