UCLA researchers have developed a low-cost blood test, MethylScan, built on cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation sequencing to detect multiple cancers and liver-related conditions in a single assay framework. In early studies involving more than 1,000 people, the approach reportedly identified disease signals across different organ contexts. The method focuses on DNA methylation patterns—chemical tags that regulate gene activity—and uses cfDNA fragments as a tissue-agnostic input source, leveraging the idea that dying cells release molecular traces into blood. The work is reported in a paper published in PNAS titled “Toward the simultaneous detection of multiple diseases with a highly cost-effective cell-free DNA methylome test.” The team argues the approach could provide an alternative to mutation-only liquid biopsies that require deep sequencing to detect low-abundance tumor signals, potentially reducing cost barriers. If validated in larger cohorts, the test could support earlier detection and broader health monitoring. The clinical takeaway is a diagnostic modality shift—from targeted mutation panels to methylome-wide signatures—aiming to improve feasibility of multi-disease screening.