Irish researchers are developing a blood-based screening test designed to improve early detection of colorectal cancer using inflammatory biomarkers.

A multi-institutional research team in Ireland has secured €670,000 in funding to advance a blood-based screening test for colorectal cancer (CRC) using inflammatory biomarkers, with the goal of offering a more accessible and accurate alternative to current detection methods.

The project, named CASPDx CRC, is led by researchers from Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, and University College Dublin, working alongside clinicians at St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin. The funding comes from Enterprise Ireland’s Commercialisation Fund and will support the formal clinical validation of the test, which the team aims to launch—along with a spin-out company—by the end of 2027.

CRC is the second leading cause of cancer mortality globally, according to the World Health Organization. Despite being highly treatable when caught early, more than 60% of cases are currently diagnosed at a late stage. Existing screening methods, including colonoscopies and stool-based kits, suffer from low patient uptake, with over one-third of eligible individuals skipping screening entirely.

“Inflammation is a process essential for immunity, tissue maintenance and repair; however, it can also contribute to cancer growth, progression and metastasis,” says Emma Creagh, associate professor in biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin and scientific lead, CASPDx, in a release. “Our research has identified specific inflammation markers that become increased during CRC development and progression. The blood test we are developing will identify possible CRC patients by detecting these inflammatory markers directly from their blood sample.”

Addressing Gaps in Current Screening

The CASPDx CRC test targets a well-documented gap in the CRC screening landscape. While newer, high-accuracy tests have emerged in recent years, many are cost-prohibitive for national screening programs and largely available only in the US, according to a release from Trinity College Dublin. CRC was estimated to have cost the European Union €19 billion in 2020, according to Digestive Cancers Europe, a non-profit organization.

“With nearly 120 million unscreened individuals across the US and EU, and incidence rates increasing, a transformative solution is required—and we believe our test is exactly that,” says Kieran Clarke, commercial lead at CASPDx, in a release. “Built for accuracy, affordability, and global scale, our solution is designed to detect CRC earlier, and for more people than ever before.”

Patients are currently being recruited across all Bowel Screen Centres in the Health Service Executive Dublin and South East region as part of clinical validation studies, with support from the University College Dublin Clinical Research Centre.

Rising Rates in Younger Populations

The research team also highlights a concerning trend in early-onset CRC—defined as diagnosis in individuals under 50 years old. Rates have nearly doubled over the past 30 years, and by 2030, early-onset CRC is projected to be among the leading causes of death for adults between the ages of 20 and 49, according to the researchers.

Most national screening programs begin at age 50, leaving younger populations largely unscreened. When CRC is diagnosed in younger patients, it tends to present at a more advanced stage and with more aggressive characteristics, making early detection tools especially critical for this group.

Potential to Reduce Unnecessary Colonoscopies

Beyond early detection, clinicians involved in the project see the blood test as a potential tool for optimizing clinical workflows and resource allocation.

“The current waiting lists for colonoscopy require us to find more efficient ways to prioritize patients,” says Glen Doherty, MD, PhD, consultant gastroenterologist at St. Vincent’s University Hospital, in a release. “The potential for a reliable blood-based screening test is a significant step forward. Beyond simply detecting bowel cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage, these tests could help us identify which patients truly require a colonoscopy following a positive stool test. By improving our diagnostic accuracy through a simple blood draw, we could reduce the number of unnecessary colonoscopies, ensuring that hospital resources are focused on the patients who need them most.”

Enterprise Ireland, the agency backing the project, emphasized the broader implications of the technology.

“The CASPDx blood test has the potential to be a game-changer in the rapid detection and diagnosis of colorectal cancer, which has shown to be highly treatable once caught early,” says Emma Callinan, head of research commercialisation at Enterprise Ireland, in a release. ” … This funding will allow this multi-institutional team from Trinity, Dublin City University, University College Dublin, and St Vincent’s Hospital to further develop the blood-based screening test, which could bring about huge benefits to both patients and healthcare systems across the globe.”

Photo caption: Dr Kieran Clarke, Commercial Lead, CASPDx; Prof Glen Doherty, Consultant Gastroenterologist at St Vincent’s University Hospital; Dr Paul Leonard, Development Lead, Dublin City University; and seated, Dr Emma Creagh, Associate Professor in Biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin and Scientific Lead, CASPDx. The group is pictured in Trinity College Dublin.

Photo credit: Thomas Deane, Trinity College Dublin

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