dna-storageIt is no secret that early detection of cancer or illnesses of any kind will lead to a higher chance of being cured, or at least allow people to start getting treatment for it to delay any potential negative side effects. Recently scientists at Stanford have managed to come up with a way that could detect illnesses like HIV and cancer even earlier.

How does this work? For the most part it seems to work similarly to how people are screened right now for things like cancer or HIV, which is to go fishing in the person’s immune system for antibodies that are produced when it detects diseases using molecules that have flags attached to them.

However in this case, what happens is that those flags are replaced with strands of DNA. Through the use of DNA isolation techniques, it is said to be more sensitive than the current techniques that are employed, which in turn could alert doctors to any potential illnesses that the patient might be suffering from.

The researchers have tested their technique against the FDA-approved variants for thyroid cancer, and found that it is at least 800 times more sensitive. The researchers have already begun conducting clinical trials and over in the Alameda County Public Health Laboratory, their technique is currently being tested as a HIV screening tool.

Filed in Medical. Read more about and .

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