Scientists at the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center have developed a urine-based test that can identify DNA fragments from head and neck tumors. This test has the potential to make early detection of this type of cancer easier, as there is currently no reliable screening method available. The researchers created a test that can detect pieces of DNA fragments released by head and neck tumors. This urine-based test could potentially allow for the early detection of this type of cancer, which currently lacks a reliable screening method.is well known for its association with cervical cancer, but it is now being linked to cancers in the oral cavity, throat, and other areas of the head and neck.
Early detection is crucial because finding cancer at an early stage can result in better outcomes for patients.
Using whole genome sequencing, the Rogel group demonstrated that cell-free DNA fragments released by tumor cells, which travel from the bloodstream to the urine through the kidneys, are primarily ultra-short, containing fewer than 50 base pairs. Due to their small size, these fragments are likely to go undetected by traditional urine or blood-based liquid biopsy tests.The research, led by Muneesh Tewari, M.D., Ph.D., J. Chad Brenner, Ph.D., and Paul L. Swiecicki, M.D., aimed to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Initial findings were published in JCI Insight. The team found that conventional assays are not able to detect ultrashort DNA fragments in urine, as they are designed to target longer DNA fragments. Therefore, they took an unconventional approach to developing a urine test.The study co-first author and research specialist, Chandan Bhambhani, Ph.D., described the test for detecting HPV-positive head and neck cancer ctDNA as still in the discovery phase but already being used for research. The mail-in test has been given to patients within a hundred-plus miles of Ann Arbor to collect data on the effectiveness of the at-home kit. Participants provide a urine sample and send it back to the U-M laboratory for testing to determine the presence or absence of head and neck cancer. One of the study’s most notable outcomes is the distribution of the test for research purposes.”The developed test has been able to identify cancer recurrences much earlier than would typically be possible through clinical imaging. These promising results have given us the confidence to expand the scope of the study and distribute the test even further,” said Brenner, co-senior author of the study.
While the initial focus was on head and neck cancer, the study also outlines a new method that could be used to broaden the test to detect other types of cancer. For instance, the test has shown the ability to detect ctDNA in the urine of patients with breast cancer and acute myeloid leukemia. This indicates that the test could be applicable to a wider range of cancers.The study has revealed new possibilities for investigating the use of urine-based testing for various cancers. According to Bhambhani, urine contains information about different types of cancer, despite being produced in the kidneys. The differences in ctDNA fragment sizes and the test developed for detecting HPV-positive head and neck cancer provide essential insights into the development of urine-based diagnostic assays for different cancers. Bhambhani also believes that these tests are likely to be more widely accepted by patients needing follow-up testing after treatment, due to the convenience of urine-based testing.The study found that self-collection of samples is more effective than blood-based assays. The research was funded by several organizations including NIH grants, National Cancer Institute grants, American Cancer Society grants, and the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute.
