Detecting EGFR Gene Mutations on a Nanobioarray Chip

In this study, three point mutations of EGFR relevant to lung cancer therapy are detected. Mutated EGFR is the target of a therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) as treatment drugs. Background/Objectives: Point mutations in exon 21 (L858R and L861Q) of the EGFR gene are TKI-sensitive; however, mutations in exon 20 (T790M) are TKI-resistant. Therefore, a fast detection method that classifies an NSCLC patient to be drug sensitive or drug resistant is highly clinically relevant. Methods: Probes were designed to detect three point mutations in genomic samples based on DNA hybridization on a solid surface. A method has been developed to detect single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) for these mutation detections in the 16-channel nanobioarray chip. The wash by gold-nanoparticles (AuNP) was used to assist the differentiation detection. Results: The gold nanoparticle-assisted wash method has enhanced differentiation between WT and mutated sequences relevant to the EGFR sensitivity to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Conclusions: The WT and mutated sequences (T790M, L858R and L861Q) in genomic samples were successfully differentiated from each other.