Transgenomic has launched the Surveyor Scan K-RAS kit, the first in a range of mutation detection kits featuring the company's proprietary Surveyor Nuclease and Wave HS DHPLC platform.
Surveyor Scan technology is a novel approach to mutation detection that uses a PCR amplification reaction and hybridisation to form heteroduplex DNA molecules in samples with K-RAS mutation.
A digestion step is performed using Surveyor Nuclease, which cuts the DNA strands at mismatched base pairs.
The different-sized pieces of DNA are recognised as additional peaks on a chromatogram when compared to non-mutant DNA.
K-RAS mutations are associated with a lack of response to therapies directed against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in colorectal cancer.
Dr Eric Kaldjian, Transgenomic's chief scientific officer, said: 'For several years, Surveyor technology has been recognised as having superior detection capability over standard sequencing and so we have developed it into a user-friendly kit for K-RAS.
'In addition to detecting the most common activating mutations, it also detects other mutations that current sequence-specific methods will not find.
'This technology will have very practical extensions to tumour suppressor genes, such as p53, in which mutations of clinical significance may be present throughout a gene,' he added.
In a lung-cancer study presented by OSI Pharmaceuticals at the annual meeting of the 2009 American Association for Cancer Research, Surveyor Scan K-RAS was compared with standard sequencing and Scorpions Arms, an allele-specific test.
The study demonstrated that the Surveyor method was more sensitive than sequencing and a better predictor of response to single-agent anti-EGFR therapy than Scorpions Arms.
Craig Tuttle, Transgenomic's chief executive officer, said: 'By combining Surveyor Nuclease with the Wave HS platform, we have created an accurate, easy-to-use, simple-to-interpret and cost-effective way to find somatic mutations in genes such as K-RAS.
'Surveyor Scan K-RAS will be the first of several mutation detection kits we are developing for diagnostic use with Wave HS.
'Additionally, we will be able to develop Surveyor Scan kits on other instrument platforms; we believe that this will enhance the adoption of our assay,' he added.
