£2.4m funding for AI-driven blood test to detect cancer
The government, in collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has awarded £2.4 million to progress the development of an AI-driven blood test to detect 12 types of cancer earlier.
The blood test, known as miONCO-Dx, aims to identify cancer earlier, where treatment is not only more effective, but also cheaper and easier, potentially freeing up valuable NHS resources and staffing time in the long run.
The test, works by measuring microRNA in a blood sample and using AI to identify if cancer is present and if so, where it is located in the body,
Initial tests of the technology, which was made by British company Xgenera in partnership with the University of Southampton, have shown that it is able to detect 12 of the most lethal and common cancers, including bowel cancer, at an early stage with over 99% accuracy.
In a press release, published on 23 April 2025, Professor Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care and chief executive of the NIHR, said: “Innovations such as the mIONCO-Dx blood test offer an exciting new era in cancer detection with the potential for quicker, easier and more effective ways to detect cancers before they become more difficult to treat.
“NIHR is supporting initiatives such as these, utilising the latest technologies such as AI, to provide patients and the public with timely, accurate and easily accessible options.
“Supporting the UK’s thriving life sciences sector is key to seeing these strides in diagnosis and early prevention.”
The blood test was developed on data from more than 20,000 patients and has since been translated into a cheaper, faster and more scalable solution.
The solution will be assessed in a clinical trial of 8,000 patients, giving a formal and significant step towards bringing the test closer to patients by ensuring it is fit for purpose in the NHS.
Bowel cancer is the UK’s fourth most common cancer, with over 42,000 people diagnosed each year. Early diagnosis is crucial, with nine in 10 people surviving bowel cancer when it’s detected at stage one, compared to just one in 10 when diagnosed at stage four.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “This blood test has the potential to help us detect bowel cancer earlier and reduce the need for invasive tests, and the next step in this trial will now be vital in gathering further evidence on its effectiveness and how it could work in practice.”
Wes Streeting, health secretary, said: “We know that the key to surviving cancer is catching it as early as possible, so this government is taking the urgent action needed to make sure that happens through our Plan for Change, from developing world-leading technology to detect bowel cancer earlier, through to setting up hubs for the UK’s top scientists to research and treat the disease.”
The announcement came as Streeting is set to visit a research lab funded by Cancer Research UK, which has been renamed the Bowelbabe Laboratory in memory of campaigner Dame Deborah James.
