Meridian Bioscience, a leading global provider of diagnostic testing solutions and life science raw materials, launched two new master mixes that detect DNA and RNA in crude blood samples down to a single copy—enabling early detection of cancer using non-invasive liquid biopsy.

These two innovative master mixes from Meridian Bioscience, the Lyo-Ready Direct DNA qPCR Blood Mix and Lyo-Ready Direct RNA/DNA qPCR Blood Mix, are designed for applications that require ultra-sensitive detection, such as liquid biopsy. This breakthrough technology is the first blood-specific, inhibitor-tolerant, and lyophilizable chemistry that enables extraction-free qPCR/RT-qPCR for liquid biopsy analysis at a performance level on par with traditional qPCR from purified nucleic acids.

Liquid biopsy is a non-invasive alternative to tissue biopsy and offers ultra-sensitive detection of tumor-associated DNA or RNA from biofluids such as blood. Sample types like whole blood, serum, plasma, and the anticoagulants used for specimen stabilization contain PCR inhibitors that can significantly reduce detection sensitivity and may cause false-negative results.

Inhibitors are usually removed by DNA/RNA extraction, which increases assay time, cost, and the risk of contamination or error. Meridian’s innovative Lyo-Ready Blood-Specific Master Mixes do not require extraction and are proven to excel with crude blood and its derivatives without the need to remove inhibitors.

These mixes can help improve patient outcomes by enabling early cancer detection by delivering assay sensitivity down to one copy of DNA. Meridian’s new mixes are formulated with lyophilization excipients, making them compatible with lyophilization to create room-temperature stable molecular diagnostic assays. Not only does this allow maximum sample input in the liquid biopsy analysis, but it also eliminates the need for cold chain storage of the finished test kit, limiting our customer’s environmental impact.

“We are excited to expand our sample-specific molecular range with the market’s first lyophilizable, and inhibitor-tolerant master mixes designed for direct amplification of nucleic acids from liquid biopsy,” says Florent Chang-Pi-Hin, PhD, VP, global research and development. “It is a truly disruptive technology that makes the early detection of cancer biomarkers directly from liquid biopsy a reality. We are proud of being the technology innovator enabling efficient and more cost-effective diagnostic assay development to help clinicians deliver the quickest, most accurate diagnosis for patients.”

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