Rare target quantification using digital PCR
Identification and tracking of cancer-causing mutations via liquid biopsy are increasingly being used for measuring potential therapeutic response, quantifying residual tumor burden, and studying resistance to potential targeted therapies. However, detecting circulating tumor DNA for liquid biopsy applications is challenging because the targets of interest are only a small fraction of the total circulating cell-free nucleic acids collected in the sample. With its unparalleled precision and sensitivity, digital PCR (dPCR) is ideally suited for liquid biopsy applications and rare mutation detection.
Liquid biopsy analysis relies on highly sensitive assays to detect low-abundant quantities of highly fragmented, tumor-derived nucleic acids. Applied Biosystems™ Absolute Q™ Liquid Biopsy Digital PCR Assays are a precise, fast, and simple solution for the detection and quantification of common cancer-related mutations, making them ideal for the study of response and resistance. Each predesigned assay has been verified using controls to detect the target cancer-related mutation down to a 0.1% variant allele frequency.
