Fresh data released on Thursday from the world’s most comprehensive investigation into blood molecules suggests that simple finger-prick tests could one day identify a range of illnesses years before symptoms emerge, according to scientists. Researchers working with UK Biobank participants have published the final dataset profiling nearly 250 molecules circulating in the bloodstream, using samples collected from half a million volunteers.
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UK Biobank, which recruited more than 500,000 adults aged 40 to 69 between 2006 and 2010, is one of the largest long-term health studies ever undertaken. It provides vital information for examining factors linked to diseases that commonly develop in middle and later life.
A subset of this vast dataset, focused specifically on blood metabolites, may significantly improve scientists’ ability to predict who is most likely to develop conditions such as Alzheimer’s, heart disease and cancer up to a decade before diagnosis. Researchers say the findings could also inform treatment strategies.
Working in partnership with Nightingale Health, scientists analysed a wide range of metabolites — including sugars, fats and amino acids — and have now made this complete list accessible to researchers globally.
“Metabolites are small molecules produced when the body processes the food we eat, the air we breathe and the medications we take,” explained Naomi Allen, chief scientist at UK Biobank. “Studying them offers a powerful route to identifying early warning signs, understanding how illnesses unfold, and measuring how well treatments are working.”
Portions of the metabolite data have been released in stages since 2021 and have already contributed to major scientific advances.
For example, when combined with other UK Biobank information, the metabolite data helped create a blood test already in clinical use in France and Singapore to assess the risk of developing common conditions such as Type 2 diabetes.
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Sir Rory Collins, principal investigator at UK Biobank, said: “When integrated with genetic, proteomic and imaging data, these findings open up a new level of discovery. They allow scientists to examine how genes, proteins and environmental influences interact, offering deeper insights into a patient’s real-time health.”
Joy Edwards-Hicks, who studies age-related changes in blood at the University of Edinburgh, told The Guardian: “It supports the preventative model we are moving towards, where a tiny pinprick sample could provide a snapshot of your overall health.” Experts say the latest dataset could strengthen disease prediction models and help identify patients who would benefit most from early testing and preventative care.
Michael Inouye, a population health researcher at the University of Cambridge, said: “Having metabolomic data on this scale, linked with a wide range of other health information, creates a unique resource for scientific discovery.”
Jeffrey Barrett, chief scientific officer at Nightingale Health, added: “Making this data available to the global network of UK Biobank researchers enables scientists everywhere to explore key blood biomarkers and test their findings within one of the largest medical research projects in existence.”
