NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and Medical Center recently won funding to develop a methylation-based biomarker test for Barrett's esophagus, the only condition known to predispose a person to esophageal adenocarcinoma.

The team is also developing a novel balloon device to obtain samples from the lower esophagus, potentially eliminating the need for endoscopy and biopsy, and making the test useful for low-cost screening.