Oxford Nanopore launches a comprehensive Hereditary Cancer Panel
A new Hereditary Cancer Panel will interrogate 258 genes associated with inherited cancer risk
Oxford Nanopore Technologies, the company behind a new generation of molecular sensing technology based on nanopores, has launched a comprehensive Hereditary Cancer Panel (HCP), which will allow users to interrogate 258 key genes associated with inherited cancer risk.
The HCP provides a simple workflow with flexible batch sizes, allowing laboratories to run their own assays in house, which can speed up time from sample-to-answer. The rich, multi-omic dataset also enables test consolidation, potentially reducing the need to run additional reflex or follow up tests, when initial results are inconclusive or require further analysis.
The panel uses Oxford Nanopore technology, which sequences fragments of any read length – from short to ultra-long – and includes adaptive sampling, which ensures users can easily target existing regions of interest. This enables the detection of complex structural variants, large insertions/deletions and pseudogene resolution, while also revealing the methylation landscape.
Importantly, the HCP allows for haplotype phasing, which is crucial to understand whether mutations happen in both copies of a gene (cis or trans), and if they are conferring increased risk and eventually cancer incidence. These deeper insights may help lead to increased diagnostic yield.
Around 10% of diagnosed cancers are linked to an inherited gene change or mutation from a parent conferring a higher-than-average risk of developing a certain type or types of cancer, for example the BRCA1/2 genes increase risk of developing breast cancer. Key cancer risk genes are routinely screened, however many high-risk families still lack answers using legacy tests.
Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore, commented: “We are delighted to be launching the Hereditary Cancer Panel, which will allow both small and large laboratories to gain deeper insights into mutations in genes associated with increased cancer risk. By enabling in-house testing, this panel can accelerate access to richer genetic data, a step which could make a real difference for patients who are still searching for answers.”
Claire Attwooll, Senior Director of Clinical Solutions for Oncology, added: “The Hereditary Cancer Panel utilizes a simple, rapid library prep with no baits or probes, combined with flexible sample pooling that allows batching flexibility, so laboratories of all sizes to take control of their turnaround times.”
