A liquid biopsy test could identify PSC-related bile duct cancer up to a year before clinical diagnosis
Hege Marie Vedeld and colleagues at Oslo University Hospital have identified a panel of DNA methylation biomarkers capable of accurately detecting bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) in bile samples up to a year before clinical diagnosis – offering new hope for earlier intervention in individuals with the chronic liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). The findings is a collaboration between the Norwegian PSC Center, and the Lind lab and were recently published in JHEP Reports.
Detecting cholangiocarcinoma in PSC is a well-known clinical challenge - cancer is frequently diagnosed too late for curative treatment, and prognosis is poor. In this study, the researchers identified a four DNA methylation biomarker panel (5-42952178, KCNA6, PRKCB, ZFP82) that can reliably differentiate cholangiocarcinoma from PSC in bile samples, achieving > 90% sensitivity and specificity. Strikingly, positive biomarker signals were detected in bile collected up to one year before a clinical diagnosis, highlighting the potential for earlier - and potentially curative, intervention.
Links
Lind Lab- Epigenetics Group OUH - Epigenetics Group (Lind)