Strand Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, has secured an Indian patent for an innovative DNA-based platform that enables early cancer detection through simple blood tests. The patented platform combines high-quality genome sequencing, rigorous quality control, biologically informed methylation and fragmentomic feature extraction, and machine learning to detect cancer and predict its tissue-of-origin from a blood sample. The technology specifically uses cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis to detect cancer from blood samples, making it accessible for early cancer screening. As reported by The Business Guardian, the platform enables early cancer detection and prediction of the tissue where the cancer originated from a single blood sample, representing a significant advancement in precision cancer screening technology.
A key innovation covered by the patent is the ability to capture widespread methylation pattern changes across the genome with minimal loss or failure, improving the sensitivity of early cancer detection. The AI-enabled platform can also predict the likely tissue of origin of the cancer, providing clinicians with valuable insights for faster and more targeted diagnosis. The technology is designed to identify subtle alterations in DNA patterns associated with cancer, enabling diagnosis before the disease progresses to advanced stages. CEO Ramesh Hariharan emphasized that early detection is increasingly relevant as cancer becomes one of India's greatest public health challenges, with the innovation representing an important step towards making precision cancer screening more accurate, scalable, and accessible.
Early detection remains one of India's biggest challenges in cancer care, with around 1.5 million new cancer cases estimated to occur annually according to The Business Guardian. Unfortunately, a large number of patients are still diagnosed at advanced stages, when treatment options are limited and outcomes are significantly poorer. A large proportion of cancer patients in India and globally are diagnosed only after symptoms appear, when treatment becomes more difficult and survival rates decline. Existing guideline-recommended screening programmes cover only a small proportion of cancers and are difficult to scale. The company noted that early detection has the potential to shift diagnoses to earlier stages, making it increasingly relevant as cancer becomes one of India's greatest public health challenges.
Strand's platform could make large-scale early cancer screening more feasible as DNA sequencing costs continue to decline, without requiring significant expansion of local healthcare infrastructure. Since Reliance Industries acquired Strand Life Sciences in 2021, the company has been instrumental in pushing India's genomics market forward. India's genomics testing market is projected to reach $2 billion by 2030, with experts attributing much of the market's growth to a roughly 50% decline in genome sequencing costs over the past five years. The company aims to push forward research and eventual deployment of blood-based screening tools that can complement existing cancer screening programs, as both government and private players in India look to invest in affordable, scalable diagnostics to tackle the growing cancer burden.
The granted patent adds to Strand Life Sciences' intellectual property portfolio in liquid biopsy and reinforces its strategy of developing integrated, AI-enabled molecular approaches for early cancer detection and precision oncology. The patent further strengthens Strand Life Sciences' position in the field of molecular diagnostics and precision oncology. The Bengaluru-based genomics company has been expanding its portfolio of AI-enabled diagnostic solutions as part of Reliance Industries' broader focus on healthcare innovation and digital health technologies. CEO Ramesh Hariharan stated that the patent represents a major milestone in the company's efforts to develop next-generation AI-powered liquid biopsy technologies, with the goal to make cancer screening more accurate, scalable, and accessible while supporting precision medicine through advanced genomics. Healthcare experts believe that affordable, AI-driven blood tests capable of detecting cancer early could transform cancer screening programmes in India, where earlier diagnosis not only improves survival rates but also helps reduce the overall cost and complexity of treatment.
