Cell Free DNA HDx Reference Standards Introduced

Horizon Discovery Group plc has announced the introduction of its cell free DNA (cfDNA) HDx™ Reference Standards. The new Reference Standards support the development and optimisation of cfDNA assays, which are emerging as an important tool for non-invasive liquid biopsies.

Horizon’s cfDNA Reference Standards enable researchers to demonstrate the performance of their cfDNA assays by providing a reproducible, consistent and reliable source of reference material for their development and evaluation.

Created from engineered cell lines, cfDNA Reference Standards are available in both singleplex and multiplex format with cancer-relevant mutations including BRAF, EGFR, KRAS, NRAS, and PIK3CA.  These Reference Standards consist of human genomic DNA fragmented to 160 bp, representative of plasma-derived cfDNA, and are provided as a set of precisely defined allelic frequencies from as low as 0.1%.  A matched wild type is included. cfDNA Reference Standards with further genetic variants are currently in development.

These highly-characterised standards are able to feed directly into any cfDNA workflow from whole-genome, whole-exome, or amplicon based NGS sequencing, to qPCR and ddPCR platforms. Applications include assay validation, establishing standard curves, quantifying background noise, and defining the limit of detection of a workflow.

Horizon’s cfDNA Reference Standards were recently provided under an Early Access Program. This involved working with 20 of Horizon’s commercial and academic partners from around the world to demonstrate the utility of the standards across a broad range of assays and platforms. Horizon will be publishing these findings shortly.

Horizon’s Reference Standards are manufactured under ISO 9001, with tight quality control, and are trusted by over 500 laboratories around the world.