In the last 30 years, Nanopore sequencing has emerged as the most effective and economical method for sequencing DNA. It enables researchers to examine intricate elements of the genome, but it is incompatible with other biological molecules that may serve as disease indicators.
Scientists from Imperial College London have now discovered a workaround for that restriction. Their method can concurrently identify 40 biomarkers from human blood serum, such as proteins, microRNA, and neurotransmitters.
The development unlocks the possibility for customized medicine and may enable advanced, accurate cancer and heart disease diagnoses as well as patient-specific treatment plans. One of the team members at Imperial, Aleksandar Ivanov, said that “a lot of components of this technology existed before.” But that “it was the synergy of bringing it all together that makes this work important.”
The scientists demonstrate in their publication how their method can identify 40 distinct biomarkers in samples of human blood. But according to Edel, they are currently focusing on finding 100. “In terms of upper limit, it’s likely closer to 1,000.”
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