Product name
Quantitative Analysis of DNA MethylationSummary
Fast, Easy and Low-Cost Method, which can be automatedOrganization name
Max-Planck-Innovation GmbHProfile
QUANTITATIVE determination of DNA methylation is becoming more and more important in the diagnosis and prognosis of diseases, like specific types of cancer and diseases of the immune system, which are caused by defective gene regulation.
Methylation is a covalent modification of DNA, which activates or deactivates gene regulating sequences. From the degree of methylation of a DNA fragment and the relative amount of methylated DNA relevant conclusions about expression and activity of a certain gene can be drawn.
Current techniques for the quantification of DNA methylation, like single nucleotide primer extension (ms-SNuPE), are laborious and expensive and can not be adapted to high-throughput systems.
Technology
The novel technique, which has been developed at the MPI fuer molekulare Physiologie in Dortmund, is a significant simplification of the existing methods for QUANTIFICATION OF DNA METHYLATION. It is used immediately downstream to the conversion of methylated DNA by the bisulfite method.
The detection of amplified PCR products resembles the known and approved principle of the ELISA determination of protein concentrations. This avoids cumbersome analysis of PCR products by agarose gel electrophoresis.
Based on the low number of PCR cycles the amount of the PCR product correlates linearily with the amount of the template. The quantification of the immobilized PCR product is made by binding of a reporter enzyme to the biotinylated primer and the following enzymatic colorimetric detection.
The relative amount of methylated DNA, can be determined in cultured cells or tissue samples in a simple one-tube assay format. The use of microwell plates as solid phase allows the analysis of a high number of samples and the automation.
Thus it allows the fast and accurate quantification of the proportion of methylated and nonmethylated DNA for RESEARCH or DIAGNOSTIC purposes at reasonable cost.
A PCT patent application was filed. Additional information is provided in the attached pdf.
Contact
Max-Planck-Innovation GmbH
Dr. Dieter Link
dieter.link(at)max-planck-innovation.de
About Max-Planck-Innovation GmbH
Max Planck Innovation advises and supports scientists of the Max Planck Society in evaluating inventions and filing patent applications. They market patents and technologies to industry and coach founders of new companies based on research results from Max Planck Institutes. Every year, they evaluate about 130 inventions, of which 80 to 100 lead to the filing of a patent. In the last five years alone, they advised 28 spin-offs, closed more than 450 license deals and generated proceeds of more than EUR100m for inventors, institutes and the Max Planck Society. As a result, Max Planck Innovation is among the world's most successful technology transfer organizations. Max Planck Innovation was founded in 1970 as Garching Instrumente GmbH and operated under the name of Garching Innovation from 1993 to 2006.
Description File
3497_KLI_DE.pdf
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