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cell-free DNA (cfDNA) tests could become the ultimate “Molecular Stethoscope” that opens up a whole new way of practicing Medicine

Reporter: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN

The first commercial application of cfDNA sequencing debuted in 2011. New blood tests can identify Down’s syndrome and similar genetic conditions during the first months of pregnancy by checking the fetal DNA in the bloodstream of a pregnant woman. (Anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of the DNA in a pregnant woman’s blood comes from the placenta, which is genetically similar to the fetus.) These maternal blood tests are fast replacing less-accurate procedures, such as ultrasound plus blood analysis.

More recently, researchers have started looking at cfDNA to develop so-called liquid biopsies, which analyze a tumor’s genetic makeup or look for evidence of a cancer recurrence. Tumors often spill DNA into the blood as they grow and divide, and because they are usually riddled with mutations, their scrambled DNA is clearly different from that found in normal DNA fragments. The first liquid biopsy test was launched only three years ago; although they are not yet part of routine care, the field is growing quickly. One company says it will give liquid biopsy tests to one million people in the next five years, and another has raised nearly $1 billion for its studies.

A similar cfDNA method is being tested for newly transplanted organs, which are at risk of being rejected by the recipient’s immune system. Currently, transplant doctors check a transplanted organ’s health by performing repeated biopsies, which are expensive and invasive. After a transplant small amounts of donor DNA from the new heart or kidney, for example, circulate in the blood as part of the normal process of cell birth and death. If the host immune system attacks the foreign organ, the proportion of donor DNA increases as more and more foreign cells die. One company, CareDx, already sells a test that picks up on that change for people who have had kidney transplants.

The researchers invented a way to boost the signal by reducing human DNA in blood samples. Their spin-off company, Karius, launched a test earlier this year to identify bacteria, fungi, viruses or parasites in hospitalized patients. It can spot infections in organs that are too dangerous for biopsies, including the lung and the brain, Kertesz says—and it is most useful for people with mystery infections or who are too sick to endure a surgery.

cell-free DNA tests in the future include stroke, or autoimmune conditions such as lupus

SOURCE

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/one-test-may-spot-cancer-infections-diabetes-and-more/