TwinStrand Biosciences Announces Peer-Reviewed Publication of Study Results Highlighting Ability of Duplex Sequencing Technology to Rapidly Detect the Mutagenic Activity of Chemicals

SEATTLE, Dec. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TwinStrand Biosciences, Inc., a next-generation DNA sequencing technology company, announced today the publication of a study validating a new application of its TwinStrand Duplex Sequencing™ Technology. Study findings demonstrated the ability of Duplex Sequencing to rapidly detect and characterize ultra-low frequency mutations and early cancer growth caused by chemical carcinogens in mouse models. The study, “Direct Quantification of in vivo Mutagenesis and Carcinogenesis Using Duplex Sequencing,” was peer-reviewed and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Duplex Sequencing is a biochemistry and cloud-based software enhancement to existing next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms that improves accuracy by more than 10,000-fold. This dramatic performance boost enables researchers and clinicians to solve previously intractable genetic “needle in a haystack” problems by revealing the faint signals of exceptionally rare DNA mutations that until now have been obscured by technical noise.

“There are significant limitations associated with current tools for mutagenesis detection, largely related to the need to use bacteria or genetically-modified organisms that produce only limited and indirect measurement of induced mutations. The unprecedented richness of data unlocked through Duplex Sequencing will contribute to the revitalization of genetic toxicology and mutational science and will help expedite numerous fields of research and development,” said Jesse Salk, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of TwinStrand Biosciences. “These findings have the potential to expand real-world applications for Duplex Sequencing, including fast in vivo and in vitro preclinical testing to accelerate drug development, high resolution off-target mutagenesis evaluation of CRISPR and other gene editing technologies and in-human use to non-invasively identify exposures to environmental carcinogens to aid public health officials with surveillance and source control.”

The study, which was conducted in partnership with researchers at Millipore Sigma/BioReliance^® Toxicology Services and Amgen^®, demonstrated the ability of Duplex Sequencing to accurately measure chemical mutagenesis and early carcinogenesis in comparison with standard in vivo mutagenesis assays.

Key findings highlighted in the scientific paper include:

• Duplex Sequencing was able to sensitively detect mutations induced by three distinct carcinogens in five tissues of two strains of mice less than one month after exposure.
• A strong correlation of mutation induction was observed between Duplex Sequencing and a slower and more complex regulated gold-standard rodent mutation assay.
• Unique, exposure-specific mutation spectra of each tested compound were identified through trinucleotide base substitution patterns.
• Variation in mutation susceptibility by genomic region as well as by DNA strand were observed.
• Detection of early genetic signs of cancer formation in a cancer-predisposed mouse strain, prior to visible microscopic tumor formation

TwinStrand Biosciences launched Duplex Sequencing mutagenesis kits in February 2020. In addition to a mouse mutagenesis assay, the company offers human and rat mutagenesis assays as well as an assay for the detection of minimal residual disease in acute myeloid leukemia, among others in development.

The scientific paper can be accessed on TwinStrand Biosciences’ website at www.twinstrandbio.com/resources/publications.

About TwinStrand Biosciences
TwinStrand Biosciences is leading the way in identifying rare genetic variants that are undetectable by standard sequencing methods. The company’s highly sensitive and specific Duplex Sequencing technology delivers clearer insights to researchers and clinicians in applications ranging from residual cancer detection to genetic toxicology. This data can inform critical decisions in clinical medicine, public health, and other fields of science on a faster timescale, where actions are most impactful. TwinStrand’s scientist-leaders have authored more than a dozen peer-reviewed articles using Duplex Sequencing and have developed a portfolio of more than 70 patents and patent applications. The company has partnered with pharmaceutical companies, academic centers, clinical research networks and federal regulatory agencies to bring high precision genomics to the forefront of their science. For more information visit www.twinstrandbio.com.

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SOURCE TwinStrand Biosciences, Inc.