Inspection and analysis of urine by eye has been a long-standing practice in the medical field. However, blood remains the main biomarker although detectable changes tend to emerge at more advanced stage when homeostatic mechanisms are severely affected. In contrast, urine is potentially more likely to detect earliest changes in the body, providing early warning of diseases for timely intervention.
To that end, a trio of researchers from China, the UK and the US respectively, have formed the World Urine Project.
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“We hope to bring together resources and capabilities of scientists globally to highlight that urine,while being a waste product of internal processes, may offer an advantage over blood in detecting early disease changes,” shares Youhe Gao from Beijing Normal University.
International collaboration
The initiative will establish a shared database through international collaboration, laying the foundation for early, accurate and personalized diagnosis.
“It has the potential to transform reactive medicine, where significant resources are currently used for treating advanced diseases,” adds Gao. “The project not only focuses on a less explored biofluid, but also emphasizes the importance of global cooperation in advancing medical research and improving patient outcomes.”
The initiative was published in KeAi journal Advances in Biomarker Sciences and Technology.
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