DNA/RNA Sequencing Gene Panel to Target Pediatric Cancers


A next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based panel designed specifically for pediatric cancer research will be developed by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and will use the Ion Torrent NGS platform and Ion AmpliSeq technology from Thermo Fisher Scientific.

 Setting it apart from other cancer gene panels is its ability to detect DNA mutations, gene amplifications and the expression of more than 1000 specific gene fusion variants, representing over 100 tumor-specific gene translocations common to pediatric malignancies. The panel will include virtually all somatic genetic alterations identified for childhood cancer to date in the scientific literature, and requires as little as 10 ng of DNA and RNA from fixed, fresh or frozen tumor tissue. 

According to Alan S. Wayne, M.D., director of the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at CHLA, the use of molecular genetics to firmly establish the diagnosis, including the specific biologic subtype, may help one day determine the most appropriate choice of therapy for children with newly diagnosed or relapsed malignancies. “Such personalized cancer care is of considerable benefit to patients and practitioners as we work to develop genomically targeted therapies,” he said. 

Source:The above post is reprinted from materials provided by American Laboratory.

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