New Research on Biotechnology - Bioinformatics Reveals Potential in Detecting and Monitoring Diseases

Strategic Insights -

Scientists at the David Geffen School of Medicine University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have made a significant breakthrough in the field of biotechnology - bioinformatics. According to their research, cell-free DNA (cfDNA) released by dying cells from damaged or diseased tissues can be traced and quantified through unique DNA methylation patterns. This discovery holds great potential for detecting and monitoring various diseases, including cancers. The researchers have developed a tool, cfTools, an R package that streamlines cfDNA tissue-of-origin analysis for disease detection and monitoring. cfTools offers data preparation and analysis functions with flexible parameters for user-friendliness and can infer the presence of underlying pathological conditions, including cancer.

Key Takeaways:

  • The research states that cell-free DNA (cfDNA) released by dying cells from damaged or diseased tissues can lead to elevated tissue-specific DNA, which is traceable and quantifiable through unique DNA methylation patterns.
  • Tracing cfDNA origins by analyzing its methylation profiles holds great potential for detecting and monitoring a range of diseases, including cancers.
  • The tool, cfTools, an R package developed by the researchers, streamlines cfDNA tissue-of-origin analysis for disease detection and monitoring.
  • cfTools offers data preparation and analysis functions with flexible parameters for user-friendliness and can infer the presence of underlying pathological conditions, including cancer.
  • The research was financially supported by the National Cancer Institute.
  • The tool is freely available at Bioconductor: https://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/cfTools.html and https://bioconductor.org/packages/release/data/experiment/html/cfToolsData.html.
  • The development version of cfTools is maintained on GitHub: https://github.
  • The research was conducted by Shuo Li, Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), along with additional authors Ran Hu, Mary L. Stackpole, Qingjiao Li, Xianghong Jasmine Zhou, and Wenyuan Li.

Statistics:

  • 5: The journal in which the research was published, Bioinformatics Advances (2025;5(1)).
  • 1: The number of researchers involved in the study, including Shuo Li, Ran Hu, Mary L. Stackpole, Qingjiao Li, Xianghong Jasmine Zhou, and Wenyuan Li.
  • 170: The page number of the news report by NewsRx in Information Technology Newsweekly (2025).
  • 2025: The year in which the research was conducted and the tool, cfTools, was developed.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. David Geffen School of Medicine University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Reports Findings in Bioinformatics (cfTools: an R/Bioconductor package for deconvolving cell-free DNA via methylation analysis). Information Technology Newsweekly. June 17, 2025; p 170.