A novel blood test technology offers hope for earlier and more sensitive cancer diagnosis. Blood tests identify DNA released by dying tumor cells for cancer diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment. The problem is the low tumor DNA level in circulation. MIT and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard researchers temporarily blocked the clearance of circulating tumor DNA to magnify this signal.
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Priming Agents Elevate Cancer DNA Detection to New Heights!
To disrupt the body’s tumor DNA clearance, injectable “priming agents” were produced. These medicines boosted DNA levels in mice, making early-stage lung metastases detectable from 10% to over 75%.
This breakthrough could change cancer diagnosis by detecting tumor mutations earlier and, more sensitively, providing individualized therapy options. It may also improve cancer recurrence detection.
Using a monoclonal antibody, the priming agents protect circulating DNA from DNases. Another nanoparticle prevents immune cells, especially macrophages, from absorbing cell-free DNA. These priming drugs increase blood sample circulating tumor DNA, boosting liquid biopsies’ sensitivity.
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Game-Changing Blood Test Breakthrough
The method tackles the constraint of blood draw material and opens new cancer interception and therapy enhancement applications. Priming agents can be given an hour before a blood draw to improve DNA visibility.
Studies on mice with transplanted cancer cells showed a significant increase in blood tumor DNA levels. Priming agents could restore circulating tumor DNA 60-fold. The nanoparticle priming agent detected circulating tumor DNA in 75% of mice with modest cancer burden, suggesting early cancer diagnosis.
This novel diagnostic procedure is more accessible and less intrusive than colonoscopy or mammography. The researchers founded Amplifyer Bio to develop the technique for clinical trials. If successful, this strategy could improve cancer detection, prevention, and treatment for more patients.
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