What If a Simple Blood Test Could Detect Cancer? | Hani Goodarzi | TED
Catching Cancer Early: The Role of OncRNAs
Understanding the Importance of Early Detection
- Catching cancer at its earliest stages is crucial for effective treatment and can save many lives.
- RNA, particularly messenger RNA (mRNA), plays a significant role in protein synthesis within cells, which has become widely understood due to COVID vaccines.
Discovery of OncRNAs
- A new class of non-coding RNAs, termed orphan non-coding RNAs or oncRNAs, has been discovered that changes our approach to cancer detection.
- These oncRNAs allow for non-invasive blood tests that not only detect cancer earlier but also provide insights into tumor biology.
Mechanism Behind Cancer Cell Behavior
- All cells share the same genetic code but express different genes based on their specific functions, leading to over 200 distinct cell types.
- Cancer cells exploit cellular machinery to enhance gene expression that promotes tumor growth while silencing genes that suppress it.
The Role of Genomic Reprogramming
- Cancer cells activate normally silent parts of the genome, resulting in the production of unique RNAs found primarily in cancerous tissues.
- OncRNAs serve as molecular barcodes that are linked to specific types or subtypes of cancer.
Utilizing OncRNAs for Detection
- Some oncRNAs are released into the bloodstream from cancer cells, allowing for potential detection through blood samples.
- While only a subset of oncRNAs can be reliably detected in blood samples, machine learning and AI can reconstruct a more complete picture from this partial data.
Clinical Applications and Future Directions
- Collaborations with clinical partners have led to preliminary studies showing oncRNA effectiveness in detecting residual disease post-treatment in breast cancer patients.