Ontario, Canada (CU)_ Scientists have developed a “holy Grail” blood test that may detect cancer well before symptoms appear. In this breakthrough medical diagnosis, UC Santa Cruz scientists identified a protein that is secreted during the earliest stages of cancer. The protein modifies a patient’s dark matter, which generates a detectable biomarker, which is a biological substance detected in the blood.
The new blood test, called liquid biopsy, can detect cancer with a simple screening test. The test can detect chemical changes in the circulatory system. The KRAS gene is highly mutated across all malignancies and can serve as a driver for cancer development. In general, this gene is responsible for controlling RNA molecules, which translate DNA instructions.
According to Daniel Kim, Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering, “The sooner you detect that someone has cancer, the more likely they will be to survive through treatment and surgery. Millions of people die from cancer every year around the world, and there is an urgent need to develop highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tests that enable cancer early detection before it has spread to other parts of the body.”
In order to perform the study, scientists added cancer-causing mutant KRAS genes into healthy lung cells. Then, they applied a variety of techniques to do RNA sequencing. According to the research, in comparison to control cells, computer models detected extensive RNA. The Kim Lab intends to study the blood samples from lung cancer patients in the future to confirm the presence of their newly found RNA signatures. The research has been published in Cell Reports journal.
