Integrated DNA Technologi?es Launches its First Cancer Panel

Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) is enabling cancer research with its latest next generation sequencing (NGS) product, the xGen Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cancer Panel v1.0. Consisting of 11,743 xGen Lockdown Probes, this cancer panel targets more than 260 clinically relevant genes that were found to be mutated in a study of 200 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and published by The Cancer Genome Atlas consortium. The AML Cancer Panel is used for enriching the genome for regions of interest before performing NGS. It can, therefore, be used to study disease occurrence and progression, and help with the development of better targeted therapies.

Target enrichment enables users to focus their sequencing efforts on specific regions of the genome, providing a cost-effective and reliable alternative to whole genome sequencing, making NGS more accessible to researchers. By including only relevant xGen Lockdown Probes, the AML Cancer Panel enables high coverage of targeted regions, with minimal GC bias.

As cancer is a genetic disease driven by both heritable and somatic mutations, NGS technologies can significantly improve its detection, management, and treatment. DNA from a patient could be enriched for these AML-related genes using capture panels such as the xGen AML Cancer Panel and sequenced to identify mutated genes. Subsequently, the patient would receive therapy specific to their cancer profile. Periodic sequencing of these genes would allow monitoring of disease progression for both research and clinical purposes. As such, more tailored therapies can be developed and a personalised treatment regimen can be implemented.

Ibrahim Jivanjee, Product Manager for NGS at IDT, commented: “We have invested a significant amount of resources into the development of our xGen product line, and are delighted to see such success from these products already. The launch of our first cancer panel has been a significant milestone, with early collaborators demonstrating its potential for use in patient diagnosis and monitoring.” He continued: “With next gen sequencing becoming an increasingly prominent technique within cancer diagnosis and personalised medicine, IDT, with its leading position in oligonucleotide technology will continue to be at the forefront of developments in this rapidly advancing field.”