By Diagnostics World Staff
November 1, 2016 | To help clinical researchers gain a deeper understanding of fusions in cancer classification and progression, Illumina, in partnership with its customers, created the TruSight RNA Fusion Panel. It allows in-depth assessment of 507 genes that have been cited in publicly available databases and implicated in various cancers, including solid tumors, soft tissue cancers, and hematological malignancies.
TruSight RNA Fusion enables analysis of limited and degraded samples, such as formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue, on a desktop sequencer such as MiSeq or MiniSeq. The included analysis software provides a simple report showing the fusions detected along with the cytogenetic coordinates and any known disease association. This intuitive software solution enables even those new to next generation sequencing (NGS) to run the TruSight RNA Fusion panel.
“Our area of emphasis with gene fusion studies in cancer with a particular focus on bone and soft tissue tumors, and hematological malignancies,” said Ravindra Kolhe, Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, and Director of the Georgia Esoteric & Molecular Labs, who helped develop the TruSight RNA Fusion Panel, in an Illumina-featured Q&A.
“Overall, we have four goals for using this technology. The first is to assess the ability to detect fusions and understand whether the panel may complement or replace fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) testing; the second is to identify targetable fusions, meaning fusions which can be targeted by different therapeutics or drugs; the third is to find cancer associated fusions which may help us decipher their role in oncogenesis; finally, and perhaps the most important goal, is to make novel discoveries. Ultimately, we want to see if we can identify new fusions, which may play a vital role in oncogenesis and thereby identify new targets to understand pathogenesis and possibly new therapeutic interventions. Until now, nobody has looked at these lesions on such a massive scale. We’ll be able to examine 507 genes and determine the significance of gene fusions in oncology research. This unique and innovative approach will, for the first time, allow cancer researchers to execute a comprehensive and strategic analysis of many cancers where they have not been able to understand either the oncogenesis or they have not found a promising target,” said Kolhe.