Germantown, MD, and Hilden, Germany, May 25th, 2011 – QIAGEN launches the qBiomarker™ Somatic Mutation PCR Array System*, designed for rapid and accurate mutation profiling in basic research and drug discovery. The assays consist of collections of pathway or cancer-specific assays in 96- or 384-well plate formats with a number of pathways (EGFR, ErbB2, etc.) and cancer types.
Laboratory experiments have shown that the PCR arrays provide a sensitivity of as low as 1-2 % mutant DNA in a background of wild-type DNA. The pathway-focused approach also enables an in-depth understanding of the mutations that are present in a specific tumor sample in a short time frame. The experiments require approximately two hours from sample to result and are easy to perform: the DNA is extracted from the sample, amplified if needed, and then used for the PCR array with any block-based real-time cycler.
The mutations covered in the arrays have been selected from comprehensive databases and literature reviews based on their biological relevance and frequency of occurrence.
The utility of somatic mutation status information in identifying key signaling disruptions has been demonstrated in numerous studies. For targeted therapy research, studying the most common and relevant mutations in the context of biological pathways also provides more coverage and thus the most potential for the discovery and verification of clinical biomarkers.
Find out more about the qBiomarker Somatic Mutation PCR Arrays at www.sabiosciences.com/somaticmutation.php.
For a high resolution image please contact us at marc.egelhofer@qiagen.com.
*The qBiomarker™ Somatic Mutation PCR Array System is intended for molecular biology applications. This product is not intended for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of a disease.
About QIAGEN:
QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands holding company, is the leading global provider of sample and assay technologies. Sample technologies are used to isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from biological samples such as blood or tissue. Assay technologies are used to make these isolated biomolecules visible. QIAGEN has developed and markets more than 500 sample and assay products as well as automated solutions for such consumables. The Company provides its products to molecular diagnostics laboratories, academic researchers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and applied testing customers for purposes such as forensics, animal or food testing and pharmaceutical process control. QIAGEN’s assay technologies include one of the broadest panels of molecular diagnostic tests available worldwide. This panel includes the first FDA-approved test for human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer. QIAGEN employs nearly 3,600 people in over 30 locations worldwide. Further information about QIAGEN can be found at http://www.qiagen.com/.
Contacts:
Global:
Dr Marc Egelhofer
QIAGEN GmbH
+49-2103-29-11741
e-mail: marc.egelhofer@qiagen.com
US:
Cassie Knapp
QIAGEN
+1-240-686-7686
e-mail: cassie.knapp@qiagen.com
