UCLA scientists unveiled MethylScan, a low-cost blood test aimed at simultaneously detecting multiple cancers and non-malignant conditions using cfDNA methylome profiling. Early studies in more than 1,000 participants were reported as promising for identifying signals from different organs, with the approach positioned as a broader liquid-biopsy alternative. The test analyzes DNA methylation patterns—chemical tags that regulate gene activity—rather than hunting for a limited set of mutations through deep sequencing. Researchers say this can reduce cost barriers often associated with mutation-based liquid biopsies that require high-depth assays to detect faint tumor signals. The work was described through a UCLA-led publication in PNAS titled “Toward the simultaneous detection of multiple diseases with a highly cost-effective cell-free DNA methylome test,” with lead author Jasmine Zhou, PhD, highlighting earlier-stage detection as a key clinical goal.