LifeCodexx launches Down syndrome biomarker test in Germany; Intel and Stanford create a protein chip;

> A controversial Down syndrome test, LifeCodexx's PrenaTest, has been launched in Germany and is being marketed as a lower-risk alternative to amniocentesis. Article

> Stanford University School of Medicine and Intel have collaborated to create a protein chip to identify patients with a particularly severe form of lupus and analyze protein interactions. Press release | Abstract

> Blood groups could be used as biomarkers for heart risk. In people in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, those with the blood group O had a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease. Abstract | Article

> In a study presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, Amorfix's EP-AD Alzheimer's disease test differentiated healthy people and patients with Alzheimer's disease and cognitive impairment. Press release

> U.K.-based biomarker company Proteome Sciences is collaborating with the CHDI Foundation to identify biomarkers for Huntington's disease. Press release

> Researchers from the Wistar Institute are using a $1 million tobacco settlement grant to develop an early-stage biomarker test for non-small cell lung cancer. Article

> GWAS studies may identify gene variants behind obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette's syndrome. Press release

> Spanish researchers have developed a high-throughput technique to identify glycoprotein biomarkers. Article | Abstract

> A BRAF mutation can point out patients with a significantly poorer prognosis after colorectal cancer diagnosis. Abstract

And Finally… Cholesterol tests could be as simple as a photograph of the back of your hand. Article