DNA-based “liquid biopsy” could help save lives and reduce health disparities.
Illustration shows DNA fragments (yellow) derived from a transplanted heart alongside the patient’s own DNA (blue). A new blood test measures donor DNA fragments and detects acute heart transplant rejection earlier than current methods.Erina He, NIH Medical Arts
Researchers have developed a blood test that could make it possible for doctors to detect — then quickly prevent or slow down — acute heart transplant rejection, a potentially deadly condition that occurs in the early months after a patient has received a donor heart. They estimate that the test could eliminate up to 80% of invasive heart tissue biopsies currently used to detect rejection.