Experimental blood test may one day identify diseases such as cancer
MIAMI — An experimental blood test may one day be able to detect a range of diseases including cancer and multiple sclerosis, based on signatures of DNA from dying cells, researchers said on Monday.The work, described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed US journal, is still in its early stages, but opens up vast possibilities, the study authors said."We view this is as a breakthrough with huge potential, but it will not be realised very soon," said co-author Yuval Dor, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem."We are working hard on this but this is far from clinical use," Dr Dor said.So far, the method has been tested on 320 patients and controls, and has shown success in finding diseases such as pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis, diabetes, traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis.When cells die, it can mean a disease is just beginning to take hold in the body — perhaps a tumour is forming, or an autoimmune or neurodegenerative illnes...
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