New Blood Test Detects Early-Stage Cancers, Monitors Treatment Resistance, and Identifies Tissue Damage.

In a major medical breakthrough, Stanford Medicine scientists have unveiled a new blood test capable of identifying early-stage cancers, detecting resistance to cancer treatments, and monitoring tissue damage from non-cancerous conditions. This innovative test focuses on analyzing cell-free RNA (cfRNA) molecules circulating in the blood.

Cell-free RNA refers to fragments of RNA released into the bloodstream when cells die naturally. These fragments come from a wide variety of tissues, including tumors. Although the blood carries fragments of both DNA and RNA, isolating and analyzing RNA—particularly messenger RNA (mRNA)—has proven uniquely informative for understanding what is happening inside the body.

The research team dedicated over six years to developing methods to target and analyze messenger RNA from blood samples. By capturing insights from these degraded molecules, they have created a versatile liquid biopsy tool that not only detects cancers but also tracks how they adapt and resist therapies, as well as identifies damage to healthy tissues.

“Just like archaeologists study remnants to understand ancient societies, we can study cell-free RNA to learn about the health of a patient’s tissues,” said Dr. Maximilian Diehn, MD, Ph.D., co-lead author of the study and the Jack, Lulu, and Sam Willson Professor of Radiation Oncology at Stanford Medicine.

The detailed findings and methodology of the study were published in Nature on April 16, 2025. Key contributors include Monica Nesselbush, Bogdan Luca, and Young-Jun Jeon, with leadership from Dr. Ash Alizadeh, MD, Ph.D., alongside Diehn.

Focusing on Rare RNA Signals:

One of the major challenges in analyzing cfRNA is that about 95% of it consists of ribosomal RNA, which is less informative. The Stanford team instead concentrated on the small portion made up of messenger RNA, which reflects which genes are actively producing proteins. They narrowed their analysis to about 5,000 genes that are rarely expressed in healthy blood, dramatically enhancing the test’s sensitivity to disease signals.

This strategy increased the test’s ability to correctly identify cancer by over 50-fold. Impressively, the blood test detected lung cancer RNA in 73% of patients, even at early stages.

“By focusing on rare abundance genes, we can zero in on the most relevant RNA signals, much like archaeologists examining specific artifacts to understand ancient diets,” explained Alizadeh.

Beyond Genetic Mutations: Tracking Treatment Resistance:

Unlike many existing DNA-based tests that depend on finding genetic mutations, this new RNA-based approach can monitor conditions without genetic alterations. Many forms of treatment resistance arise from changes in cell behavior rather than mutations, making them invisible to DNA-focused methods.

“Our approach offers a non-invasive way to detect treatment resistance early, possibly before symptoms emerge or before the disease shows up on scans,” Alizadeh noted. “This could provide critical opportunities to adjust therapy earlier and improve patient outcomes.”

Overcoming Technical Hurdles:

Another significant hurdle was the presence of platelets, blood components that contain RNA but no DNA, which could confound test results. The researchers developed a combination of molecular techniques and computational tools to subtract the platelet-derived RNA, ensuring the test accurately captured signals from cancers or damaged tissues.

Importantly, this computational approach works not only on freshly drawn blood but also on previously frozen samples.

“This flexibility means we can analyze samples from past clinical trials to discover new biomarkers, speeding up the application of these findings to real-world patients,” said Diehn.

Applications Beyond Cancer:

The test's capabilities extend beyond oncology. Researchers found that blood samples from ventilated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) had high levels of normal lung RNA, reflecting the severity of lung injury. Similarly, COVID-19 patients’ blood samples showed that lung RNA levels corresponded to illness severity.

Additionally, healthy smokers displayed elevated lung RNA in their blood, possibly signaling early, microscopic lung damage.

While this development is just the beginning, the Stanford team’s new method promises a powerful tool for both cancer care and broader health monitoring, opening the door to earlier interventions and personalized treatment strategies

Source:https://phys.org/news/2025-04-cell-free-rna-blood-early.html

This is non-financial/medical advice and made using AI so could be wrong.