Hepta, founded by former Grail scientists, released proof-of-concept data showing that cfDNA methylation patterns reflect liver disease biology, including fibrosis, and correlate with single-cell and bulk tissue signatures. Duke University gastroenterologist Anna Mae Diehl presented an atlas linking tissue methylation, expression and chromatin accessibility to circulating cfDNA methylation seen in Hepta’s dataset. The work positions methylation-based liquid biopsy as a noninvasive approach to detect and stage metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and fibrosis, potentially offering a complement or alternative to protein-based blood tests and invasive biopsies. Hepta said the concordance between tissue and plasma signatures supports the feasibility of a cfDNA methylation diagnostic for liver disease.