AI-powered blood test predicts diseases 15 years before symptoms appear

A groundbreaking, AI-powered blood test could predict the likelihood of certain diseases up to 15 years before symptoms appear.

Chinese scientists have unveiled the world’s first “Human Health and Disease Proteome Map” after examining blood samples from over 50,000 people, spanning 14 years of medical history. This innovative method uses artificial intelligence to detect early warning signs in plasma, paving the way for much earlier diagnoses of issues like Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

Researchers at Fudan University initially screened close to 1,500 plasma proteins and zeroed in on 11 that can signal a future risk of dementia. Then, by extending their investigation to analyze nearly 3,000 proteins in human blood and applying AI-based techniques, their system can now predict the risk of hundreds of diseases more than a decade ahead of time.

“The biggest advantage of this technology is early detection at lower cost,” explained Yu Jintai, deputy director of the Fudan University Research Institute and Deputy Director of Neurology at Huashan Hospital. Right now, the team is working on a rapid test kit that could make this type of screening as commonplace and affordable as checking your blood pressure or blood sugar.

When it eventually goes on the market, the test could cost just a few dozen yuan (around $5-10). That makes it especially valuable for middle-aged and older adults who need regular health check-ups.

This breakthrough follows other strides in AI-driven healthcare across China. For example, Shen Ning and his group at Liangzhu Laboratory in Hangzhou recently tapped into AI algorithms to design a new medication for children with progeria, and early results look encouraging.

According to Shen, AI can drastically streamline the drug discovery process, slashing research timelines from the typical 15-20 years down to maybe 3-5 years—while also increasing the odds of success.