Proteotype Diagnostics achieves breakthrough in early cancer detection and treatment prediction

23/07/2025

We’re proud to celebrate an exciting achievement from one of our Campus-based companies. Proteotype Diagnostics Ltd, in collaboration with academic partners, has published a major breakthrough in the prestigious journal Nature Communications that could significantly advance the early detection and treatment of cancer.

Published on 14 July 2025, the open-access paper titled “Immunodiagnostic plasma amino acid residue biomarkers detect cancer early and predict treatment response” outlines a novel, minimally invasive blood test that detects cancer at an early stage and predicts how patients will respond to treatment—by measuring the body's immune response, rather than relying on tumour DNA.

Led by Dr Emma V. Yates, Chief Scientific Officer at Proteotype Diagnostics, and Professor Gonçalo J. L. Bernardes of the University of Cambridge, the study analysed blood samples from 170 individuals across various cancer types and healthy controls.

What makes this approach different?

Traditional liquid biopsies detect tumour-derived DNA, but these can be limited in early-stage cancers where DNA shedding is minimal. Proteotype’s platform, called the Amino Acid Concentration Signature (AACS), instead focuses on changes in immune proteins—specifically the abundance of amino acid residues in blood plasma.

The result is a robust, rapid, and highly sensitive test that can:

• Detect early-stage cancers with 78% sensitivity, 0% false positives, and an AUROC of 0.95.
• Predict treatment response—in a study of advanced breast cancer patients, it accurately identified 98% of responders to CDK inhibitor therapies, months ahead of conventional methods.
• Operate at scale using fluorescent labels and machine learning to analyse plasma samples quickly, without complex processing.
• Differentiate cancer from other diseases, such as autoimmune or infectious conditions, based on unique immunological signatures.

A new chapter in personalised cancer care

“This platform leverages the immune system's ability to recognise tumours before they shed detectable DNA,” explains Dr Yates. “By focusing on subtle shifts in amino acid residues, we’re unlocking new signals that traditional approaches miss.”

Professor Bernardes adds, “This method holds the potential to transform cancer screening on a global scale—making detection faster, cheaper and more accessible.”

Proteotype is now working to scale up the technology through wider validation studies and partnerships, aiming to develop automated tests that can be integrated into routine healthcare settings.

About Proteotype Diagnostics Ltd

Based at Babraham Research Campus, Proteotype Diagnostics Ltd is at the forefront of innovation in cancer diagnostics. The company is dedicated to developing next-generation tests for multi-cancer early detection and personalised medicine, using the immune system as a powerful lens to detect and monitor disease.