The blood contains a treasure trove of previously unstudied biomarkers that could reflect the ongoing physiologic state of all tissues. Every cell in the body leaves a record of its physiological state in the products it sheds to the blood, either as waste or as signals to neighbouring cells. What some may view as a cellular refuse is really a diagnostic gold mine.

Routine laboratory blood tests sample only a minute fraction of this potential repository, and there are few specific markers for life-threatening diseases such as cancer. The current biomarker repertoire cannot detect treatable early-stage cancer and often misclassifies common benign conditions. In the face of the urgent need for better disease markers, it is unfortunate that the number of new markers submitted for regulatory approval has virtually dried up.

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