Iranian researchers develop blood test kit to help detect, monitor certain cancers without biopsy

Iranian researchers have developed a diagnostic kit that enables the detection and monitoring of certain cancers using only a simple blood sample, offering a less invasive alternative to conventional tissue biopsies. 

The technology can also be used to assess transplant rejection and screen for fetal genetic abnormalities.

The kit isolates cell-free DNA (cfDNA) circulating in the bloodstream, allowing physicians to analyze genetic material released by tumors and other biological processes without the need for surgical tissue sampling.

"Our product is a cell-free DNA isolation kit," said Hassan Nejad, one of the developers of the technology.

"It has a wide range of medical applications, including cancer detection and monitoring, transplant rejection assessment, and prenatal screening for fetal genetic abnormalities."

According to the developers, conventional cancer diagnosis often relies on tissue biopsies, which are invasive and are usually performed only after a tumor has already formed.

The new approach aims to reduce the need for such procedures by analyzing tumor-derived DNA fragments circulating in the blood.

"Today, this can be done through a much less invasive method," Mohammadpour, another developer of the technology said.

"All that is required is a simple blood sample, after which disease-related biomarkers in the bloodstream can be analyzed and monitored. This approach makes it possible to detect and monitor diseases such as cancer without the need for tissue biopsy or other invasive procedures."

The developers said the technology could be applied to a range of solid tumors, including breast, colorectal, stomach, brain, and other cancers.

As tumors grow, they release fragments of their genetic material into the bloodstream, making it possible to identify and track the disease through blood analysis.

Mohammadpour added that another major application of the technology is non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT).

By isolating fetal cell-free DNA from a pregnant woman's blood, physicians can screen for chromosomal abnormalities, including Down syndrome, without invasive diagnostic procedures, Mohammadpour noted.

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