Abstract 1048: Enabling higher sensitivity liquid biopsies with multiplex digital PCR NSCLC-relevant drug resistance panels

Abstract

Abstract Cancers, for example, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer, are frequently associated with specific genetic mutations that serving as biomarkers to guide more specific treatments (targeted therapy). The most frequently mutated genes include EGFR, KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, HER2, PIK3CA, MET, etc. Unfortunately, screening and monitoring the most common cancer related mutations and identifying the breadth of the most common drug-resistant mutations in MRD monitoring has previously required NGS - but cost, and time for execution, limits testing frequency. Furthermore, sensitivity is typically 1-5% VAF, thus limiting early detection. While digital PCR (dPCR) can be run at a fraction of the cost, and with higher sensitivity (VAFs of 0.1 to 0.01%), due to the lack of high level of multiplexing, it was historically impractical for routine screening. Here, we show that the use 6-color naica® system (Stilla Technologies), incorporating a series of high multiplex panels developed by Atila BioSystems, is able to group and efficiently detect the most frequently druggable mutations in a single reaction within three hours. Furthermore, we are demonstrating the coverage, precision, and sensitivity necessary to make high-plex digital PCR a viable option for future liquid biopsy testing. Citation Format: Michael Granitsiotis, Kimberly Gutierrez, Youxiang Wang, Jialuo Li, Zhijie Yang. Enabling higher sensitivity liquid biopsies with multiplex digital PCR NSCLC-relevant drug resistance panels [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 1048.