Advancing Hormone Measurement Accuracy
In her white lab coat and safety goggles, Dr. Julianne Botelho looks every bit the scientist she studied to be. Thanks to a CDC Foundation partnership, Botelho has been working in CDC’s Protein Biomarker Laboratory since 2007 to help standardize how testosterone levels are measured at labs across the country. The Hormone Standardization Project will assure patients of more accurate results and more effective treatment for hormone-related diseases and disorders.
Botelho often serves as the public face for the initiative, hosting symposiums at conferences and reaching out to scientific and medical leaders to explain how the project will improve the reliability of hormone testing in clinical research and patient care.
“Originally a lot of work was done in the lab developing methods for testing testosterone. After that I worked on more in-depth analysis,” Botelho says. “Now I deal a lot more with clinicians and researchers, explaining what we’re doing to advance hormone measurement accuracy and how the project relates to public health.”
The Hormone Standardization Project aims to address current challenges in clinical research, including lack of comparability of data across studies and measurement systems as well as lack of appropriate performance of assays, especially at low concentrations, such as testosterone levels observed in women and children. The project is a collaborative effort between CDC and others involved in hormone testing, test interpretation and use and is funded by a gift to the CDC Foundation from Abbott Products, Inc. (formerly Solvay Pharmaceuticals).
Dr. Hubert Vesper is chief of CDC Protein Biomarker Lab and oversees the project. “Without Abbott’s commitment and ongoing support from the CDC Foundation, we wouldn’t be able to move ahead with this important work,” says Vesper. “Many of our colleagues are very excited that someone is finally doing something to solve this chronic problem. The overall outcome of this project will be sustainable improvements in hormone measurements, resulting in better, more accurate patient care.”
Vepser and his team hope to build on the success of the project to implement other related public health initiatives. The CDC Foundation is currently seeking funding for a related estrogen measurement harmonization project.
