Research on Personalized Medicine, Global Health, and Portable Tests Draws More Than 20,000 Attendees to the 70th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting

Newswise — CHICAGO – AACC welcomed thousands of medical professionals and healthcare leaders at the 70^th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo from July 29–August 2. The meeting showcased advancements in clinical testing technology and research that improve the ability of healthcare providers to diagnose patients quickly and accurately and ensure that patients get effective medical treatment. 

As of Wednesday, August 1, more than 20,000 laboratory medicine professionals had registered for the meeting, which is the highest meeting attendance AACC has ever had in Chicago. It is also the highest number of attendees that have ever come to the meeting in a location outside of California. More attendees are expected today, the last day of the meeting. 

Highlights of the conference program included five plenary talks presented by scientific luminaries on subjects ranging from precision cancer therapeutics to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) new Essential Diagnostics List. Brian Druker, MD, winner of AACC’s 2018 Wallace H. Coulter Lectureship Award, delivered the opening keynote on his research that led to targeted treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia, which enables patients to forego toxic chemotherapy.  

Monday’s plenary speaker, Kenneth Setchell, PhD, outlined how mass spectrometry can illuminate the underlying molecular cause of disease and pave the way for life-saving medications. Tuesday’s plenary with Denise Galloway, PhD, described the journey of discovery that resulted in the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, as well as the substantial work still needed to increase HPV vaccination rates. On Wednesday, Rossa Chiu, PhD, explored the significant impact of cell-free fetal DNA analysis on prenatal testing and care. And in today’s closing keynote, Timothy Amukele, MD, PhD, and Lee Schroeder, MD, PhD, discussed how the WHO’s Essential Diagnostics List promises to advance patient care in resource-limited countries by improving the quality of and access to laboratory testing.

Additionally, in a competition to win AACC’s Disruptive Technology Award, three biotech innovators—Ativa Medical, GNA Biosolutions, and Two Pore Guys—presented data on portable tests that could help more patients get accurate diagnoses. GNA Biosolutions won with the company’s ultrafast molecular diagnostic system called pulse controlled amplification, which could make it easier to perform infectious diseases tests in regions without access to hospital laboratories.   

The 70^th AACC Clinical Lab Expo featured 819 exhibitors and covered 258,295 net square feet, which is the highest number of exhibitors and largest show floor in AACC’s history. This dynamic exhibit featured groundbreaking tests from all laboratory medicine disciplines, including mobile health, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, point-of-care, and automation. 

 “The research and technology presented at the 70th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo illustrates the integral role laboratory medicine plays in advancing patient care and will make a significant impact on medicine worldwide,” said AACC CEO Janet B. Kreizman. “Every year, laboratory medicine experts develop innovative solutions to pressing patient health problems, and I look forward to seeing the new advances that will be presented at next year’s conference.”

The 71st AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo will be held in Anaheim, California from August 4-8, 2019. 

About the 70^th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo

The AACC Annual Scientific Meeting offers 5 days packed with opportunities to learn about exciting science from July 29–August 2. Plenary sessions feature the latest research on targeted cancer therapies, technology to define genetic defects, the HPV vaccine and associated cancers, using CRISPR to detect nucleic acid sequences, and the new WHO Essential Diagnostics List.

At the AACC Clinical Lab Expo, more than 800 exhibitors will fill the show floor of McCormick Place in Chicago with displays of the latest diagnostic technology, including but not limited to mobile health, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, point-of-care, and automation.

About AACC

Dedicated to achieving better health through laboratory medicine, AACC brings together more than 50,000 clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists, and business leaders from around the world focused on clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, translational medicine, lab management, and other areas of progressing laboratory science. Since 1948, AACC has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing programs that advance scientific collaboration, knowledge, expertise, and innovation. For more information, visit www.aacc.org.