SCL Healthcare, a subsidiary of SCL Science, said on the 16th it has completed domestic patent registration for a biomarker technology that can predict the risk of developing metabolic syndrome in advance by analyzing DNA methylation in blood.
The company is currently pursuing a PCT international patent and filing individual overseas patents for the technology.
The core of the patent, “DNA methylation,” refers to a phenomenon in which methyl groups bind to DNA to regulate gene expression without altering the gene sequence itself.
As it changes depending on lifestyle and environmental factors, it is considered a key indicator for identifying the likelihood of disease occurrence.
Using this principle, the company has developed a technology that can predict or diagnose the risk of conditions such as hyperglycemia, abdominal obesity, hypertension and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease using only DNA extracted from 3cc of blood, presenting the results as specific numerical values.
In particular, to overcome the limitations of existing analysis methods, the company adopted an advanced enzymatic treatment method (EM-seq), minimizing DNA damage while maximizing the reliability of methylation analysis.
A company official said, “We are developing various products, including an ‘epigenetic risk score (ERS) algorithm’ that quantifies individual disease risk using DNA methylation data and a ‘biological age prediction platform’ that assesses biological aging.”
The service is expected to be provided in the future through Hanaro Medical Foundation, a health screening institution under the SCL Group.