A validation method that enables the early diagnosis of cancer with a simple blood test has been developed.

SNU ECE Professor Sunghoon Kwon’s research team announced on the 6th that it developed a next-generation sequencing (NGS) error validation technology for accurate analysis of cancer cell DNA variants.

NGS testing, which was developed in the mid-2000s, is commonly used in disease diagnosis and prescription since, unlike testing on a single gene, where each DNA strand is tested separately, it can test a large number of genes in a short time with low cost.

For early diagnosis of cancer, it is necessary to analyze DNA variants of cancer cells that take up only extremely small proportions in the human body. Because of the high error rate of the NGS test, its clinical use for early cancer diagnosis was difficult.

Professor Sunghoon Kwon’s research team selectively extracted DNA molecules that were read erroneously with the NGS analysis by using lasers. These molecules were then duplicated and reanalyzed, thus validating the errors that arose during the NGS analysis.

The research team explained, “With conventional NGS testing, it is only possible to look into DNA variants with frequency of 0.1%, but this technology allows an examination of 0.003% variant frequency.”

Professor Kwon explained, “Early diagnosis of cancer has become possible with a simple blood test that costs 10 times less than the traditional method. This is an accomplishment made possible with convergent research of multiple fields including bioengineering, optics, and electronic engineering.”

Source: http://ee.snu.ac.kr/community/news?bm=v&bbsidx=48562
Translated by: Jee Hyun Lee, English Editor of Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, jlee621@snu.ac.kr