OGT enhances NGS results from FFPE samples

Oxford, UK – 08 June 2016. OGT, The Molecular Genetics Company, has introduced its SureSeq™ FFPE DNA Repair Mix — optimised to repair a broad range of damage in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) derived DNA. The mix effectively repairs DNA damage, improving library yields, on-target rates and mean target coverage, while removing fixation and storage artefacts and reducing the amount of starting material required.

Having sufficient quality and quantity of FFPE samples for sequencing is a common problem in clinical research. Fixation processes significantly damage nucleic acids and long storage times can produce problematic artefacts. In addition, many FFPE samples are often irreplaceable and there is a real need to reduce DNA input for NGS. Consequently low-starting material amplicon-based NGS methods are frequently favoured, however, resulting PCR bias and lower complexity from smaller inputs mean these methods are not well suited to detect low-frequency mutations in heterogeneous tumour samples. Hybridisation-based approaches on the other hand eliminate PCR bias — providing much more reliable data — but require higher DNA inputs.

Available with OGT’s SureSeq panels, the FFPE DNA Repair Mix increases success and accuracy of hybridisation-based NGS for FFPE samples by repairing damage such as nicks and gaps, oxidised bases, blocked 3’ ends and deamination of cytosine to uracil. Repairing the damage in this way enables a reduction of the amount of required starting material down to as little as 100 ng while delivering excellent sequencing data for the utmost confidence in variant calling.

The new SureSeq FFPE DNA Repair Mix highlights OGT’s strong commitment to continuous optimisation of its products and workflows. This commitment is further demonstrated in a recent application note on the use of enzymatic DNA digestion rather than mechanical shearing when preparing DNA samples for NGS. Enzymatic digestion was found to offer a more streamlined protocol saving up to two hours of time while lowering the amount of input DNA required and removing the requirement for expensive mechanical shearing equipment.

David Cook, Senior Product Manager at OGT commented, ‘We’re very excited about the new SureSeq FFPE DNA Repair Mix — it’s going to make a big difference to anybody sequencing from FFPE samples. Products like this and the vast amount of research OGT undertakes on product and workflow optimisation demonstrates our commitment to delivering the best, most innovative tools to our customers’.

About OGT

OGT, a Sysmex Group company, is a leading global provider of clinical and diagnostic genomic solutions that are created for scientists by scientists - including CytoCell^®, CytoSure^® and SureSeq™ ranges of FISH, microarray and NGS products. The company is dedicated to creating products that enable researchers and clinical decision makers to reach the right care decisions for each patient, every time. OGT strives to unlock the future of genetic clinical care with a commitment to working in partnership with its customers - not only by sharing its expertise of 25 years at the forefront of genetic endeavour, but also by working closely with scientists to understand their unique challenges, and to customise its approach to meet their exact needs. Dedicated to improving clinical care, OGT believes that through partnership—together—we’ll achieve more.

For more information on the Company, please visit our website at ogt.com

CytoSure^®, SureSeq™ and myProbes^®: For Research Use Only, not for use in diagnostic procedures. CytoCell: Some products may not be available in your region.

About Sysmex Corporation

Sysmex Corporation is a world leader in clinical laboratory systemization and solutions, including laboratory diagnostics, laboratory automation and clinical information systems. Serving customers for more than 50 years, Sysmex focuses on technological leadership in diagnostic science and information tools that make a difference in the health of people worldwide. The company is also exploring emerging opportunities in the life science field. Its R&D efforts focus on the development of high-value-added testing and diagnostic technologies that are innovative, original and optimize individual health. Sysmex also seeks to leverage its state-of-the-art technologies for cell, gene and protein analysis. The company, headquartered in Kobe, Japan, has subsidiaries in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, China and Asia Pacific and employs more than 9,000 employees worldwide. Sysmex Corporation is listed in the top tier of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

For more information about Sysmex Corporation and its affiliate companies, please visit www.sysmex.co.jp/en/.