New blood test predicts how patients will fare, study finds

London: In a potential gamechanger for patient care, a new blood test has successfully predicted how diseases will progress in patients and how they will respond to treatment, researchers said this week.

In a proof-of-concept study published this week, scientists used the test to predict patient outcomes for a range of health conditions, including infectious and chronic disease. According to Imperial College London, which led the research, the test was even able to predict how patients with inflammatory bowel disease would respond to a course of therapy.

The test works by analyzing RNA markers in the blood. When people fall ill, some genes switch ‘on’ and ‘off’ as the body mounts a response, leaving behind detectable markers.

“The patterns of gene expression we see in the blood offer clues as to what is happening,” said Dr. Clair Duncan of Imperial. “Not just where someone is right now, but where they are going to be in the next few hours or days. This could tell us whether they will get better or deteriorate, and how they might respond to treatment.”

Unlike current diagnostics that capture a snapshot of disease, the RNA-based approach aims to forecast trajectory. In the study, the test identified patients likely to worsen and those who would benefit from specific therapies.

Further research is needed, but Imperial said a working test could be available within as little as five years. If validated in larger trials, it could help doctors personalize treatment, avoid ineffective drugs, and intervene earlier when patients are set to decline.

The team is now planning wider clinical studies across hospitals in the UK to test accuracy and real-world use.