Israeli breakthrough: A saliva test that will predict cancer and heart disease years in advance
Israeli scientists have developed an innovative saliva test that maps the human genome and is capable of detecting the risk of about 50 types of cancer, stroke, and heart disease years before they break out.
An innovative medical development in Israel may completely change the approach to preventive medicine: Israeli scientists have launched a breakthrough test that allows for predicting risks of fatal diseases in advance using only a saliva sample.
The technology behind the innovative MedyGenes Risk test from the company "Lev Hai Genetics Ltd." is based on whole genome sequencing (WGS 30X). This advanced mapping technology is capable of detecting in advance genetic changes associated with the risk of developing severe diseases, including about 50 types of cancer, brain aneurysm, stroke, dementia, Alzheimer's, and heart disease.
The test's ability to identify hidden processes brewing at the DNA level — sometimes 10, 15, and even 20 years before the actual onset of the disease — creates a critical window of time for saving lives and gives patients and medical teams the opportunity to implement effective preventive treatment.
According to the data, every year in Israel about 11,000 people die from cancer, about 8,000 from heart disease, and thousands more from stroke and dementia, while experts estimate that many of the cases are defined as "unnecessary death" that could have been prevented.
At the same time, the developing company sets medical caveats and limitations and emphasizes that the new technology does not constitute a substitute for medical advice or routine screening tests. The test serves only as a decision-support tool for the attending physician, and any significant finding requires verification and interpretation by a qualified physician or clinical geneticist. Furthermore, it is clarified that DNA is only part of the complex of risks, and other significant factors such as environment and lifestyle also influence the development of diseases.
As a reminder, in parallel with breakthroughs in early diagnosis, the medical world is also recording achievements in the therapeutic field. Recently, and for the first time at the Assuta Ramat HaHayal hospital, a hematology patient successfully completed an innovative procedure using CAR-T technology. This is a personalized treatment in which cells are collected from the patient's immune system and undergo a special process that allows them to identify and destroy cancer cells in a targeted manner.
