DxS Launch Latest Oncogene Mutation Test kit

DxS has announced that lung cancer patients who have acquired gene mutations associated with resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as Iressa or Tarceva can be identified accurately using a mutation test kit from DxS.
 
Designed to detect the T790M mutation in exon 20 of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, the assay will allow drug developers to investigate its reported association with acquired resistance and can act as a useful tool to predict drug response.

Its launch comes at a time when drug developers are moving away from cytotoxic therapies to more targeted, gene-based approaches to cancer treatment.
 
By harnessing the sensitivity of DxS’s ARMSTM allele-specific PCR and its Scorpions™ quantitative real-time signalling system, the assay is designed to detect mutant copies even if they represent as little as 1% of the sample.

This is a marked improvement in sensitivity over traditional sequencing-based techniques that lack discrimination when there are high levels of background DNA.

The assay performs equally well using DNA extracted from various samples, such as paraffin embedded tumours and blood.
 
Intended as a research tool, the T790M quantitative mutation assay detects the presence of a mutant thymidine base in a background of normal cytosine bases at position 2369 of the EGFR gene.

It is presented as two real-time PCR assays: one detects the mutant base the other acts as a control by quantifying the EGFR gene.

Results are semi-quantitative and provide an approximate determination of the percentage of mutant T790M in the sample.
 
DxS are presenting an abstract on "Sensitive and Selective Assays for Mutations in EGFR" on Wednesday 27th July, 9.30am at the AACC Clinical Lab Expo in Chicago, IL.