Published: 04.03.2026
Scientists from the University of Pardubice (UPCE) are refining a method capable of detecting pancreatic cancer from a simple blood sample. Their latest findings have been published in the journal Communications Medicine. The study was conducted by a team of analytical chemists led by Professor Michal Holčapek from the Faculty of Chemical Technology.
The researchers have long focused on lipid analysis and its application in detecting various types of cancer. A series of samples was analysed in cooperation with Lipidica, a joint venture established by the University of Pardubice and the holding company FONS JK Group.
The new results appear in Communications Medicine, part of the prestigious Nature Portfolio (https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-026-01445-5).
The research team demonstrates that pancreatic cancer can be detected using what is currently a unique lipidomic approach based solely on a blood test. This represents a significant step forward in non-invasive diagnostics. The test distinguishes patients from healthy individuals with high accuracy and has now been shown to remain reliable even in individuals at increased risk of developing the disease.
“This is a crucial finding. Our screening method can very accurately distinguish between patients and individuals at high risk of developing pancreatic cancer. This means that the method could also be applied to high-risk groups,” said Professor Michal Holčapek from the Faculty of Chemical Technology at the University of Pardubice.
Individuals at increased risk of pancreatic cancer represent the primary target group for screening. While the lifetime risk of developing pancreatic cancer in the general population is approximately 1.5 per cent, it exceeds 5 per cent among high-risk individuals. Major risk factors include genetic predisposition and a family history of the disease.
The blood test developed on the basis of research at the University of Pardubice could be introduced following the successful completion of clinical validation. Validation is currently under way, with Lipidica collaborating with 16 hospitals and specialised centres across the Czech Republic.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive malignancies. Statistics indicate that only 13 per cent of patients survive five years after diagnosis. The poor prognosis is largely due to the lack of reliable tools for early detection. A non-invasive blood test with high sensitivity and specificity could therefore help improve treatment outcomes in the future.
Professor Holčapek’s research team has been engaged in lipid analysis for more than twenty-five years. In recent years, the team’s work has appeared repeatedly in prestigious scientific journals such as Nature Metabolism and Nature Communications. According to the Web of Science database, the team’s 2022 publication – which first described the possibility of early detection of pancreatic cancer using a lipidomic test – ranks among the most cited articles in the fields of biology and biochemistry.
Pardubice, 2 March 2026
Mgr. Martina Macková,
Head of the Promotion and External Relations Office, University of Pardubice
