Early Detection: the Key to Healthspan Science

The Bluezones^® Research Group Switzerland in collaboration with the University of Vienna, have patented a new non-invasive approach for the detection of the nine most common types of cancer. By combining DNA mutations with epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation and miRNAs. The scientists developed a classification model that could distinguish between healthy subjects and patients with solid tumors with 95.4% accuracy, 97.9% sensitivity, and 80% specificity. For this study, plasma samples of healthy subjects and individuals with one of nine different tumor types were analyzed for genetics and epigenetics alterations (lung, pancreas, colorectal cancer, prostate, ovarian, breast, stomach, bladder, and brain cancer). The combination of three different analytes showed the best accuracy and sensitivity and was superior to the biopsy models based solely on mutations like cfDNA methylation or miRNAs.

The researchers plan to expand their study by conducting a larger prospective cohort and are actively developing new protocols. As screening technologies and sequencing methods continue to advance, their ultimate goal is to create an accurate, simple, and minimally invasive screening approach based on capillary blood. This innovation aims to facilitate early detection and improve patient outcomes through more accessible and routine testing. Our group is working on expanding the research to all major neurodegenerative diseases with collaborations worldwide.