Coloured MRI scans through a human head showing a healthy brain. The home tests would check the health of every organ. Photograph: Simon Fraser/Science Photo Library

A home testing kit that spots early signs of disease anywhere in the body could be available within 10 years, according to a leading scientist.

The simple blood test is being developed to allow people to screen themselves for life-threatening diseases, including a variety of cancers and dementias, before they develop any symptoms.

In many cases, a quick diagnosis significantly improves a patient's chances of recovering from an illness.

The test is expected to be the first major advance to emerge from a new field of biology called "proteomic fingerprinting", which promises tests that can assess the health of each organ in the body one by one.