Researchers are working on a simple saliva test that could be capable of the early detection of diabetes, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and neurological disorders. In a comprehensive analysis of RNA molecules in human saliva, researchers found that saliva contains many of the disease-revealing molecules that are found in the blood. The overriding conclusion is that saliva has tremendous medical and scientific value, and in the future, saliva samples could indicate the presence of a variety of diseases.
UCLA, October 2014