Early Tumor Screening: By detecting the free tumor DNA fragments in the blood, characteristic gene mutations of some early tumors can be discovered, which helps to achieve early diagnosis when the tumors are still small and asymptomatic. For example, it can be used for the early screening of various cancers such as lung cancer and colorectal cancer.
Tumor Treatment Efficacy Evaluation: During the process of tumor treatment, blood is regularly collected using cell-free DNA blood collection tubes, and the content and changes of tumor DNA in it are detected to determine whether the treatment is effective. If the level of free tumor DNA decreases significantly after treatment, it suggests that the treatment plan may be effective; on the contrary, if it continues to increase, it may mean that the tumor is progressing or recurring.
Personalized Tumor Treatment: Analyzing the gene mutations in cell-free DNA can provide a basis for selecting targeted drugs or immunotherapy drugs for patients, realizing precise personalized treatment, improving the treatment effect and reducing adverse reactions.
Prenatal Testing
Fetal Chromosome Aneuploidy Detection: The peripheral blood of pregnant women contains fetal-derived cell-free DNA. By using cell-free DNA blood collection tubes to collect the blood of pregnant women and then applying high-throughput sequencing and other technologies, it is possible to detect whether there are chromosome aneuploidy abnormalities in the fetus, such as trisomy 21, trisomy 18, and trisomy 13. This is the upgraded version of the Down syndrome screening, namely non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), which provides an important reference for prenatal diagnosis and reduces the risks such as miscarriage caused by invasive prenatal diagnosis.
Fetal Genetic Disease Detection: Analyzing the cell-free DNA in the peripheral blood of pregnant women can also detect some monogenic genetic diseases, such as thalassemia and hemophilia, providing important fetal health information for pregnant women with a family history of genetic diseases and facilitating the timely adoption of corresponding measures.
Organ Transplant Monitoring
Rejection Reaction Monitoring: After organ transplantation, donor-derived cell-free DNA will appear in the blood of the recipient. By regularly collecting the blood of the recipient using cell-free DNA blood collection tubes and monitoring the changes in the content of donor cell-free DNA, if the level of donor cell-free DNA suddenly increases, it may indicate that an acute rejection reaction has occurred, which helps to adjust the immunosuppressive treatment plan in a timely manner.
Graft Injury Assessment: Continuously monitoring the changes in cell-free DNA can also be used to assess the functional state and injury degree of the graft, detect graft dysfunction and other problems at an early stage, so that intervention measures can be taken to improve the survival rate of the graft.
Diagnosis and Research of Other Diseases
Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases: When infectious diseases occur, the DNA of pathogens may be released into the blood. By using cell-free DNA blood collection tubes to collect blood, the DNA of pathogens can be detected to assist in the diagnosis of infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C virus infections, as well as some bacterial and fungal infections. It can also be used to monitor the pathogen load and treatment effect.
Research on Cardiovascular Diseases: Studies have found that there are also specific changes in cell-free DNA in the blood of patients with certain cardiovascular diseases such as acute myocardial infarction and heart failure. By collecting blood for cell-free DNA analysis, it is helpful to gain a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis, condition assessment and prognosis judgment of cardiovascular diseases.