South Korean ‘MUTE-Seq’ Liquid Biopsy Technology Transforms Cancer Detection

[mediK / HEALTH IN NEWS] SEOUL, South Korea — A team led by Professors Jun Seok Hur and Sung Ho Lee at Korea University Anam Hospital, in partnership with South Korean biotech company GeneCker Co., Ltd., has unveiled ‘MUTE-Seq,’ a pioneering liquid biopsy technology. This method achieves highly sensitive detection of trace cancer mutations in blood samples, providing a promising advance for early cancer diagnosis and monitoring.

Liquid biopsy, a non-invasive method for analyzing cancer-related genetic material in blood, has long struggled to identify minute cancer mutations obscured by normal DNA signals. Conventional techniques are often costly and time-consuming, limiting their use in routine clinical practice.

‘MUTE-Seq’ addresses these challenges by employing the gene-editing tool ‘FnCas9-AF2’ to selectively eliminate normal DNA, isolating cancer-specific mutations for analysis. This innovation improves detection accuracy by up to 20-fold compared with existing methods while reducing costs to about one-tenth, increasing both efficiency and affordability. The technology’s compatibility with multiple sequencing platforms enhances its clinical applicability.

(From left) Professors Jun Seok Hur and Sung Ho Lee of Korea University Anam Hospital, Seong Hyeok Ye, Co-CEO of GeneCker Co., Ltd., and collaborating researchers from Hanyang University, Seoul National University, The Catholic University of Korea, and Ulsan University College of Medicine. (Photo courtesy of Korea University Anam Hospital)

Clinical trials involving patients with lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and acute myeloid leukemia showed strong performance, with sensitivity and specificity between 80% and 100%. These results highlight its potential for early cancer detection and recurrence monitoring, supporting its role as a valuable tool in precision oncology.

“Early diagnosis and vigilant monitoring are pivotal to improving cancer survival rates,” said Professor Hur. “With a single drop of blood, we can detect subtle cancer signals, allowing earlier diagnosis and quicker identification of recurrence.” He noted that reducing testing costs and complexity could significantly improve access to care in underserved communities.

The findings have been published in Advanced Materials and presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). GeneCker is advancing ‘MUTE-Seq’ toward commercialization, and it is already being utilized in several South Korean university hospitals for early cancer screening and minimal residual disease monitoring.

Professor Hur outlined plans to expand clinical studies to encompass colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and other malignancies. “Our aim is to deliver this technology to patients swiftly,” he said. “We are committed to advancing diagnostic innovation to improve future healthcare.”

Lim Hye Jung, medi·K TEAM press@themedik.kr

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