Blood-based test analyzes cfDNA, protein biomarkers for earlier cancer detection

In a study published in Science, researchers from Johns Hopkins University describe the development of CancerSEEK, a diagnostic that could enable earlier blood-based cancer detection by analyzing both cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and circulating protein biomarkers.

To better detect low frequency mutations in cfDNA, the researchers improved the signal-to-noise ratio of a 61-amplicon panel that assesses mutations in 16 cancer genes by combining a multiplexed PCR-based template preparation method, dubbed SafeSeqS, with a sample partitioning strategy that increased the fraction of each mutant molecule per well. ...