Researchers at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) have identified a genetic mutation that occurs in the initial stages of all types of cancers, paving the way for the development of new tests for the early detection of cancer.
According to a study recently published in Cell Reports, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, the KRAS gene is mutated in the early phases of all cancers. UCSC researchers focused on KRAS mutations caused by lung cancer.
During the study, the researchers introduced mutated KRAS genes into non-cancerous lung cells led them to the initial stage of cancer. They conducted RNA sequencing afterward to determine which RNA was more prevalent in cells affected by KRAS mutation.
The UCSC researchers are hopeful that the findings of this study will help in the development of RNA liquid biopsy diagnostic kits for the early detection of different types of cancers.
Speaking in this regard, Daniel Kim, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at UCSC’s Genomics Institute, said that cancer claims millions of lives each year due to delayed detection.
The sooner the cancer is detected, the more likely a patient is expected to survive through treatment and surgery. Therefore, it is extremely important to make effective diagnostic tests for the early detection of cancer on the basis of these findings, Daniel added.
