<div><h1>Earlier detection, better outcomes: Irish researchers target rising bowel cancer rates with new blood test</h1><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p><small>Posted on: 26 March 2026</small></p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
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	</p><p>Researchers from Trinity, Dublin City University and University College Dublin will use funding of €670,000 from Enterprise Ireland's Commercialisation Fund to develop a breakthrough blood-based screening test.</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
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</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”>The team, working with<span> </span><span>clinicians at</span><span> </span><span>St. Vincent's University Hospital, seeks to </span>transform cancer outcomes by moving screening away from invasive or unpleasant methods to their simple, high-accuracy blood test, named “<strong>CASPDx CRCâ€</strong>.</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”>The CASPDx team is now initiating the formal validation of their product. Patients are being recruited in all Bowel Screen Centres in the HSE Dublin &; South East region as part of clinical validation studies, with assistance of the UCD Clinical Research Centre.</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”>While the CASPDx CRC test is still at clinical validation and immunoassay development phases, the team aim to launch the test and spin-out as a company by the end of 2027.</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”><strong>Dr Emma Creagh, Associate Professor in Biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin and Scientific Lead, CASPDx, </strong>said: “Inflammation is a process essential for immunity, tissue maintenance and repair; however, it can also contribute to cancer growth, progression and metastasis. 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.â€</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”><img class=”bc” src=”https://pxl-tcdie.terminalfour.net/prod01/channel_3/media/tcd/news-images/004-RS-800X582.jpg” alt=”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)” style=”width : 800px; height:582px; border:; padding:; margin:; display:; float:;”/></p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”><strong><span>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.</span></strong></p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”><strong>CRC: late detection and low screening uptake</strong></p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”>CRC is the second leading cause of cancer mortality globally, according to the World Health Organisation. Despite being highly treatable when caught early, over 60% of cases are currently diagnosed at a late stage.</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Another problem comes from the current screening options, which rely on invasive colonoscopies or unpopular stool-based kits. These consequently suffer from low patient uptake, resulting in over one-third of eligible individuals skipping screening entirely. Notably, existing tests also lack accuracy and miss early cases.</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”>And while there are some novel tests with increased accuracy, these are cost-prohibitive for use in national screening programmes and many are only available in the US.</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”>But high incidence also translates into high costs, with CRC estimated to have cost the EU €19 billion in 2020, according to a report by non-profit organisation Digestive Cancers Europe.</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”>“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,†explains <strong>Dr Kieran Clarke, Commercial Lead, CASPDx.</strong></p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”>“In relative terms, CRC is very treatable if caught early – it's just that current screening tools are failing to reach many people. CASPDx is closing that gap. Built for accuracy, affordability, and global scale, our solution is designed to detect CRC earlier, and for more people than ever before. The commercialisation fund from Enterprise Ireland now allows us to hire the team to complete development and clinical validation of the test. Together with our strategic partners, we are excited to bring this life-saving test to health systems worldwide.â€</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”><strong>Worrying trends in younger people</strong></p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”>The rates of early-onset CRC (diagnosis in individuals under 50 years old) has almost doubled over the last 30 years, and by 2030 it is anticipated that early-onset CRC will be one of the leading causes of death for adults between the ages of 20-49<sup> </sup>unless cancer is caught at an earlier stage.</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”>CRC in younger people tends to be uncovered at a more advanced stage primarily due to lower screening rates as most programmes start from 50 years onwards (58 in Ireland).</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Once diagnosed, early onset CRC tends to be characterised by more aggressive features<sup><span>Â </span></sup>making accessible, early-stage detection more critical than ever to catch the cancer at an earlier stage when it is treatable and outcomes are greatly improved.</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”><strong>Prof. Glen Doherty, Consultant Gastroenterologist at St Vincent's University Hospital,</strong> said:</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”>“The current waiting lists for colonoscopy require us to find more efficient ways to prioritise patients. 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.â€</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”><strong>Emma Callinan, Head of Research Commercialisation at Enterprise Ireland</strong> said: “The CASPDx blood test has the potential to be a gamechanger in the rapid detection and diagnosis of colorectal cancer which has shown to be highly treatable once caught early. Enterprise Ireland is proud to back this project through our Commercialisation Fund, which supports third-level researchers to translate their research into innovative and commercially viable products, services and companies. This funding will allow this multi-institutional team from Trinity, DCU, UCD 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.â€</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p style=”font-weight: 400;”><strong>Bowel Cancer Awareness Month</strong></p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
</p><p><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month where people are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of Bowel Cancer and speak with their GP if needed. If eligible for BowelScreen people are encouraged to register for their test.</span></p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>

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 </p><h2 class=”h4″>Media Contact:</h2><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
 </p><p>Thomas Deane | Media Relations | <a href=”mailto:deaneth@tcd.ie”> deaneth@tcd.ie</a> | +353 1 896 4685</p><p style=”display: inline;” class=”WPAuto_Base_Readability-styled”>
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