GeneCker's ‘MUTE-Seq’ breakthrough: single-base detection revolutionizes early 바카라 카지노 diagnosis and recurrence monitoring

[by Sung, Jae Jun] "Cancer diagnosis is no longer a choice, but a right for everyone."

GeneCker, a Korean biotechnology company, is pioneering new possibilities in early 바카라 카지노 detection and recurrence monitoring through liquid biopsy technology powered by CRISPR gene-editing tools. In a recent interview with <THE BIO, Ye Seong-hyeok, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and CEO, and Hur Jun-seok, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Co-CEO, stated, "Our goal is to make excellent technologies accessible to patients," outlining the company’s strategy to translate research findings into clinical practice and its vision for global market expansion.

GeneCker was co-founded by CEO Hur Jun-seok, a clinician and former professor of neurosurgery at Korea University Anam Hospital, together with CEO Ye Seong-hyeok, an engineer who conducted CRISPR research at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Genome Editing Center. By integrating clinical expertise with core technological innovation, the company seeks to address unmet needs in early 바카라 카지노 detection and recurrence monitoring.

◇“Eliminating normal DNA”…A breakthrough approach establishes an ultra-precision platform

GeneCker's core platform, ‘MUTE-Seq,’ takes a fundamentally different approach to liquid biopsy. Whereas existing technologies have been likened to ‘finding a needle in a haystack,’ GeneCker instead ‘burns the haystack to leave only the needle.’ The method employs the ultra-precise CRISPR gene-editing tool ‘FnCas9-AF2’ to selectively excise normal DNA sequences, thereby enabling the amplification of only ‘circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA).’ In contrast to conventional methods that attempt to directly detect 바카라 카지노-associated mutations, GeneCker’s approach first eliminates normal DNA, dramatically reducing background noise and improving signal clarity.

Conventional liquid biopsy technologies analyze mixtures of normal DNA with 바카라 카지노-associated mutations, where faint mutation signals are often masked by the overwhelming presence of normal DNA. By contrast, GeneCker's method removes normal DNA in advance, isolating only mutant DNA and thereby enabling the clear detection of even subtle mutation signals. This approach has achieved a sensitivity of 99% and a specificity of 99%, representing a 20-fold increase in sensitivity compared with existing methods, while simultaneously reducing analysis costs to one-tenth. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), the basis of this method, refers to small fragments of genetic material shed by 바카라 카지노 cells that circulate in trace amounts in the bloodstream.

Moreover, the platform’s ability to detect trace levels of ctDNA in blood, approximately 0.1 nanograms (ng), greatly enhances the potential for diagnosing 바카라 카지노 at its early stages. The technology also demonstrates the precision to accurately differentiate even a single nucleotide variation. According to the company, this achievement is currently the only one of its kind validated worldwide.

"By applying the FnCas9-AF2 gene scissors, which can distinguish even single-nucleotide differences, we have enhanced sensitivity 20-fold while reducing analysis costs to one-tenth of those associated with existing methods," Hur stated. "This level of performance offers a markedly superior competitive edge compared with leading U.S. companies."

The technology gained international attention following its oral presentation at this year's American Association for 바카라 카지노 Research (AACR) meeting, subsequently prompting joint research proposals from leading global research institutions, including Memorial Sloan Kettering 바카라 카지노 Center (MSKCC) and Harvard Medical School.

◇Multi-바카라 카지노 screening at approximately KRW 350,000…"Innovation lies in popularization"

GeneCker currently provides two diagnostic tests. The first, the ‘바카라 카지노 Cell Detection Screening,’

is capable of simultaneously identifying 11 types of 바카라 카지노 in otherwise ‘healthy individuals.’ Notably, it is recognized as the world's first multi-바카라 카지노 risk screening test offered at a cost comparable to that of a standard colonoscopy.

The second offering, the ‘바카라 카지노 Cell Tracking Screening,’ is designed for ‘바카라 카지노 patients’ to enable the early detection of recurrence. On average, it identifies recurrence approximately eight months earlier than conventional imaging modalities such as CT or MRI, thereby facilitating earlier intervention. Both services are currently available at around 20 screening centers nationwide, including Korea University Anam Hospital, with expansion planned to 35 sites by the end of the year.

"While multi-바카라 카지노 early detection tests in the United States are priced at over USD 1,000 (approximately KRW 1.4 million), we have substantially lowered the entry barrier by setting the price between KRW 350,000 and KRW 400,000 (approximately USD 287)," Ye remarked. "As a result, our selection rate is more than 40 times higher than that of domestic competitors."

The recurrence monitoring test also carried significant clinical value. GeneCker has obtained clinical data showing that it can detect recurrence an average of eight months earlier than conventional CT scans, while maintaining a price point comparable to MRI, thereby ensuring accessibility for patients. "This could become the world's first widely adopted test for the early detection of post-treatment recurrence. These findings indicate a potential 57% improvement in patient survival rates," Hur explained. "We intend to apply for designation as an 'Innovative Medical Technology' in the first half of 2026 to facilitate institutional adoption."

Designation as an Innovative Medical Technology would formally recognize the test as an 'official medical practice' in hospital settings, thereby enabling its application in routine patient care and laying the groundwork for future insurance reimbursement.

◇"Established in China…Expanding to the U.S. and Europe through joint research"

GeneCker has already established a commercialization foundation by conducting thousands of clinical sample tests in China and aims to expand the number to more than 10,000 within the year. The company is also engaged in collaboration discussions with Asian countries such as Japan and Singapore. In the United States and Europe, GeneCker is preparing market entry through a partnership strategy centered on joint research with local institutions. Through these initiatives, the company seeks to demonstrate its competitiveness in the global market for multi-바카라 카지노 early diagnosis and recurrence monitoring.

"Our collaboration with MSKCC and Harvard Biobank will commence in earnest next year. We plan to sequentially enter the U.S. market with a focus on multi-바카라 카지노 early detection, while in Europe, our initial entry will center on recurrence monitoring," Hur explained.

◇From prevention to management…“A new paradigm in 바카라 카지노 health management”

In particular, the clinical collaborations highlighted the potential for expanding GeneCker technology into 바카라 카지노 prevention and management. Reports have indicated that patients who adopted lifestyle modifications based on their test results were able to significantly reduce their risk. This suggests that the testing platform can extend beyond simple early detection to support personalized prognosis and prevention strategies.

Building on these findings, GeneCker intends to develop customized lifestyle management and data-driven prevention programs, positioning itself as a ‘full-cycle platform’ that integrates early diagnosis, recurrence monitoring, and 바카라 카지노 prevention and management. “There are cases in which patients who adopted lifestyle changes based on their test results significantly reduced their risk. This can serve as an indicator for 바카라 카지노 prevention and management, extending beyond simple early detection,” Hur said.

GeneCker is also receiving diverse feedback from clinical settings, including cases of early pancreatic 바카라 카지노 detection in diabetic patients and applications in treatment decision-making for colon 바카라 카지노 patients. “In this way, our technology has the potential to open up an entirely new category of ‘바카라 카지노 health management,’” Hur emphasized.

GeneCker has now expanded to a team of 30 employees. "We have done away with the CEO's office, and everyone works in a shared space. This fosters an environment where anyone can raise issues freely as they arise," Ye further commented.

The two CEOs outlined future strategies that extend beyond early 바카라 카지노 diagnosis and recurrence monitoring to encompass immune disorders and organ transplant rejection, alongside the pursuit of global licensing opportunities. Ye remarked, "Just as artificial intelligence (AI) fostered an industrial ecosystem through GPUs, we hope MUTE-Seq will become a growth engine for the liquid biopsy field." Finally, Hur emphasized, "Great technology is meaningless if patients cannot actually use it. Our goal is to bridge research outcomes with clinical practice and translate them directly into patient care."