Reveal gene fusions that may be missed in solid tumor research

Gene fusions are important drivers in solid tumors and sarcomas, but their diversity, variable breakpoints, and the degraded RNA commonly obtained from FFPE material can make comprehensive fusion identification challenging. Assay chemistry and panel design influence whether known, rare, and novel fusion events are captured.

Partner-agnostic fusion identification

Anchored Multiplex PCR (AMP^™) uses a gene-specific primer and a universal adapter primer, enabling amplification when only one fusion partner is known. This approach supports identification of known and novel fusion partners without requiring opposing primers on both sides of every breakpoint.

Reanalysis uncovered actionable fusion findings missed by the original technology

In a retrospective study led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Yale, 663 samples previously characterized as mutation-of-interest negative by an opposing-primer multiplex PCR NGS assay were reanalyzed with Archer FUSIONPlex^™ Pan Solid Tumor v2. Reanalysis identified 148 fusions in 142 samples. Of the 142 fusion-positive samples, 32 (22.5%) contained actionable fusions that had been missed in the original analysis.

The study also found that 120 of the 148 fusion events were not targeted by the original opposing-primer panel design. The remaining 28 events were covered by that design but were not called in the original analysis. These results demonstrate how assay technology, panel content, and analysis can affect the completeness of fusion findings in solid tumor research.

Designed to identify known and novel fusions with high confidence

• Targets expressed RNA fusion transcripts, avoiding the need to sequence large, repeat-rich intronic regions
• Uses AMP chemistry to sequence from a known gene into an unknown partner
• Pairs with Archer Analysis and de novo assembly for fusion calling and visualization
• Supports customizable panel content as solid tumor research evolves