Development of an RNA-Based Diagnostic Kit Supporting Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer

7th EURASIA BIOCHEMICAL APPROACHES & TECHNOLOGIES (EBAT) CONGRESS, Antalya, Türkiye, 6 - 09 Kasım 2025, ss.130, (Özet Bildiri)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major cause of cancer mortality, highlighting the need for accurate

and minimally invasive screening tools. Leveraging mRNA-based diagnostics, we designed and

preliminarily validated a five-gene RNA panel (PPP2R2C, MYC, CDC20, CCT6A, CCT2) derived from the

MYC module for early CRC detection using paired blood and stool specimens.1 Blood (10 CRC, 10

healthy) and stool (5 CRC, 5 healthy) samples were collected prospectively. RNA was extracted

(QIAamp/NucleoSpin), converted to cDNA, and analyzed via RT-qPCR. Relative expression was

calculated by the 2^-ΔΔCt method, normalized to ACTB. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.

Diagnostic performance was evaluated through logistic regression and ROC analysis with 5-fold cross-

validation.

2 Consistent signatures were observed across matrices. MYC, CDC20, CCT6A, and CCT2 were

significantly upregulated, while PPP2R2C was downregulated in CRC vs. controls (p<0.05). Single-gene

models achieved AUCs of 0.78–0.88; the combined five-gene panel improved discrimination to AUC

0.92 (blood) and 0.90 (stool). Directional concordance between sample types supports these genes as

dual-source biomarkers for enhanced adherence and robustness.3 The five-gene MYC-module panel

effectively distinguishes CRC from healthy status via both blood and stool, demonstrating promising

early diagnostic accuracy. Ongoing work includes assay optimization, external validation, and

adaptation to a standardized RNA-based CRC screening kit.1