Patent ID: 10590473

Abstract:
Provided are systems, kits, and methods for the quantitative detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms or variants to identify malignant neoplasms. The methods include use of modified oligonucleotide blockers with peptide nucleic acid backbones that hybridize to and block logarithmic amplification of the wild-type alleles of a target, and incorporation of locked nucleic acids into probes that are complementary to a mutant allele of the target sequence to increase specificity. The methods include detection of variants in sequences with high GC content and/or low complexity, such as the TERT promoter, IDH1, BRAF, NRAS, GNAQ, GNA11 and H3F3 A gene variants. The methods include sensitive detection and staging of cancers with low cellularity, and can be used intraoperatively such as for glioma, or to detect cell-free circulating tumor DNA, such as for melanoma.