Wenying Pan

Abstract Current US FDA-cleared stool-based colorectal cancer (CRC) molecular screening tests include fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) for occult blood detection; however, integration with nucleic acid-based biomarkers requires separate workflows, thereby increasing complexity and cost. Computational analysis of GTEx RNA-seq data identified blood-specific genes. Clinical validation used RT-qPCR on stool samples from 364 participants (CRC, advanced precancerous lesions [APL], non-APL, negatives).

Abstract Cell-free RNA (cfRNA) is a promising analyte for cancer detection. However, a comprehensive assessment of cfRNA in individuals with and without cancer has not been conducted. We perform the first transcriptome-wide characterization of cfRNA in cancer (stage III breast [n = 46], lung [n = 30]) and non-cancer (n = 89) participants from the Circulating Cell-free Genome Atlas (NCT02889978). Of 57,820 annotated genes, 39,564 (68%) are not detected in cfRNA from non-cancer individuals.

Toward more predictable birthdays Low-cost methods for monitoring fetal development could improve prenatal care, especially in low-resource settings. By measuring the levels of certain placental RNA transcripts in maternal blood, Ngo et al. developed two noninvasive blood tests that provide a window into the progression of individual pregnancies. In a small proof-of-concept study, the first blood test predicted fetal age and delivery date with an accuracy comparable to that of ultrasound.