New RNA test greatly improves early colon cancer detection
Image credit: nci via Unsplash
Researchers at the University of Chicago have developed a next-generation liquid biopsy that analyzes RNA to detect cancer much earlier and with greater precision. In studies using blood samples from people with colorectal cancer, the test identified the earliest stages of the disease with 95% accuracy, far surpassing the sensitivity of current non-invasive screening options. By focusing on RNA modifications, which can signal cancer activity sooner than DNA changes, this approach could offer a more reliable and less invasive way to catch colorectal cancer when it’s most treatable.
Source
Ju, CW., Lyu, R., Li, H. et al. Modifications of microbiome-derived cell-free RNA in plasma discriminates colorectal cancer samples. Nat Biotechnol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-025-02731-8
Additional Reading
https://biologicalsciences.uchicago.edu/news/liquid-biopsy-rna-cancer