Collaboration will optimise blood RNA system for use with Affymetrix GeneChip technology to improve gene expression profile results on RNA extracted from whole blood
Affymetrix and Preanalytix have announced that they have entered into a collaboration to optimise the Preanalytix Paxgene blood RNA system for use with Affymetrix GeneChip technology to improve gene expression profile results on RNA extracted from whole blood.
The goal of the collaboration will be to develop improved methods for the use of Preanalytix technology with GeneChip expression analysis arrays.
Whole blood is one of the most common samples used in clinical research, however, expression profiling on whole blood samples presents considerable technical challenges.
Different whole blood preparation methods and the high relative concentration of globin RNA found in red blood cells can lead to changes in expression profiles ex vivo.
Globin RNA can mask the RNA found in the transcriptionally active cells of interest in the white blood cell fraction, including the lymphocytes and monocytes.
Affymetrix and Preanalytix will work together under this non-exclusive agreement to reduce variability in the preparation processes and decrease the signal contributed by globin RNA.
The Preanalytix Paxgene blood RNA system has set a new standard for stabilising whole blood cellular RNA profiles at the time of blood collection in an evacuated blood collection tube.
This enables researchers and clinicians to perform accurate analysis of gene expression profiles without the variations caused by sample collection, storage, transport or fractionation while relying on highly standardised and proven collection principles.
"We are pleased that Affymetrix and Preanalytix are joining forces to set the standard for microarray analyses from stabilized whole blood samples," said Preanalytix's Frank Augello.
"We see a strong market trend towards the use of native sample material, like whole blood, that has the original information preserved to enable the accurate application of molecular test methods, such as gene expression profiling.
"Combining Preanalytix and Affymetrix technologies provides a complete standardised process for expression profiling starting from whole blood samples. "Many of our industrial and academic customers are doing clinical research and early stage clinical trials using our whole genome GeneChip arrays such as the recently announced Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 Array," said Affymetrix' chief commercial officer Trevor Nicholls.
"Whole blood is the most readily available tissue for biomarker analysis.
"We are confident that by collaborating with Preanalytix, which has the market-leading product for whole blood stabilistion and preparation, we can develop and provide an improved solution for our customers that will maximis their ability to find gene signatures of biological relevance."
