A team of scientists from the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) at A*STAR has developed a novel artificial intelligence blood test technology called Fragle, enabling faster and more cost-effective tracking of cancer treatment response. The research findings were published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, offering a new solution for cancer monitoring.

Fragle technology distinguishes cancer DNA from healthy DNA by analyzing unique patterns in the size of DNA fragments in blood. Compared to traditional circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection methods, this technology eliminates the need for complex sequencing, with detection costs controllable within 50 Singapore dollars—significantly lower than the 1,000 Singapore dollars for conventional tests.

"It's like tracking a pandemic through wastewater monitoring; Fragle monitors cancer by analyzing DNA fragments," said lead researcher Dr. Anders Skanderup. The technology has proven capable of accurately detecting multiple cancer types and is compatible with existing DNA analysis equipment in hospitals.

Associate Professor Daniel Tan from the National Cancer Centre Singapore noted, "We are investigating how Fragle can help lung cancer patients detect recurrence earlier." Currently, over 100 patients in clinical trials are undergoing ctDNA monitoring every two months to assess treatment response.