GeneCentric's Rewind Tech Turns Archived DNA into New Cancer Insights

DURHAM, N.C. – July 08, 2026 – Precision medicine firm GeneCentric today announced the launch of a novel service that promises to unlock a trove of hidden biological data from years of cancer research, potentially accelerating the development of new treatments. The new service, ExpressCT Rewind™, applies advanced algorithms to existing liquid biopsy data, extracting gene expression insights that were previously inaccessible without new, costly lab work.

For biopharmaceutical companies and academic institutions, this means that vast archives of DNA data from past clinical trials and biobanks—once considered exhausted—can be re-analyzed to yield fresh intelligence. The technology offers a path to discover new biomarkers, refine patient selection for therapies, and better understand drug efficacy, all without collecting a single new patient sample.

“Every archived liquid biopsy DNA dataset represents untapped scientific value,” said Michael Milburn, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of GeneCentric. “With ExpressCT Rewind, we can go back into sequencing runs from completed clinical trials or biobanks and extract a second dimension of biology that mutation profiling alone cannot access.”

From Digital Dust to Biological Gold

The core innovation behind ExpressCT Rewind lies in the science of fragmentomics—the study of how cell-free DNA (cfDNA) breaks apart in the bloodstream. For years, liquid biopsies have focused on identifying specific genetic mutations within this cfDNA. While valuable, this provides a static snapshot of a tumor's genetic blueprint. GeneCentric’s technology looks not just at the DNA sequence, but at the patterns of its fragmentation.

When a gene is active or “expressed,” the surrounding chromatin structure is more open, making it susceptible to breaking in distinct ways during natural cell death processes. The resulting DNA fragments that circulate in the blood carry a subtle signature of this activity. GeneCentric's proprietary ExpressCT™ pipeline uses sophisticated AI-trained algorithms to read these signatures and infer the expression levels of thousands of genes. This provides a dynamic picture of the tumor's biological state—which cellular pathways are active and which genes are driving its growth.

Crucially, this analysis can be performed on standard DNA sequencing data generated by widely used commercial comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) panels. “For biopharma partners who have already invested in sample collection and a DNA sequencing assay, this is an opportunity to maximize return on data assets already in hand,” Milburn added. This eliminates significant financial and logistical barriers, offering a straightforward path to richer translational insights.

Reshaping the Economics of Oncology R&D

The launch comes at a time when the liquid biopsy market is expanding rapidly, with projections estimating its value to surpass $27 billion by 2035. However, a significant unmet need persists. Most current blood tests are limited to DNA mutation calling, leaving a critical gap in understanding the dynamic gene expression that often determines a therapy's effectiveness. Biomarkers for key targeted therapies, such as ER and HER2 in breast cancer, have traditionally required invasive tissue biopsies.

By enabling gene expression analysis from existing blood-based DNA data, ExpressCT Rewind™ directly addresses this gap. It provides a powerful tool for retrospective studies, allowing researchers to re-examine data from past trials to understand why a drug may have worked for some patients but not others. This could lead to the discovery of new responder populations for drugs that previously failed to meet their primary endpoints, salvaging potentially valuable therapies.

The strategic advantage for pharmaceutical companies is clear. The cost of drug development is immense, and any tool that can improve the efficiency of clinical trials is highly valuable. According to one industry analyst, technologies that can translate tissue-based biomarkers into liquid biopsy formats are like a “decoder ring” for oncology R&D. By leveraging data already paid for, companies can accelerate biomarker discovery and de-risk their development pipelines at a fraction of the cost of starting over.

A New Blueprint for Clinical Trials and Patient Care

The ultimate impact of ExpressCT Rewind™ could be felt in the design of future clinical trials and the delivery of personalized cancer care. With the ability to develop custom biomarker signatures from archived data, researchers can design more targeted, efficient prospective trials. Better patient stratification means trials can be smaller, enroll faster, and have a higher probability of success.

GeneCentric has already presented compelling data at major oncology conferences, including AACR 2026. Their research demonstrated that fragmentomics analysis can successfully classify molecular subtypes, build new prognostic models, and quantify the expression of established therapeutic targets like ER and HER2 directly from cfDNA. This capability could one day reduce the reliance on tissue biopsies for treatment selection and monitoring, a significant benefit for patients.

This technology supports a broader industry shift toward a “liquid-first” future in oncology, where a simple blood draw can provide a comprehensive, multi-dimensional view of a patient’s cancer. By combining traditional DNA variant data with a new layer of gene expression information, clinicians can gain deeper insights to guide treatment decisions in real time.

Building on a Decade of Expression Expertise

GeneCentric is not a newcomer to the field. With over a decade of expertise in gene expression, the Durham-based company has built a robust technological foundation. Its work is supported by strategic collaborations with industry giants, including a significant partnership with Labcorp to develop and commercialize RNA-based diagnostics, and collaborations with Myriad Genetics and Tempus.

Investor confidence remains high, evidenced by an $8.0 million Series C financing round closed in 2025 to commercialize its integrated GenomicsNext™ platform, which provides both DNA variant and gene expression data. ExpressCT Rewind™ represents the next evolution of this platform, turning its powerful analytical engine toward the vast repository of existing genomic data. By breathing new life into old datasets, GeneCentric aims to unlock critical information that could accelerate the next wave of precision oncology therapies.