MassARRAY for HPV Much More Sensitive

A study has shown that a new technique for detecting human papillomavirus (HPV), called MassARRAY, is 1,000 times more sensitive than the current standard method while still maintaining specificity. The finding was reported in the May 24, 2005, issue of the Proceedings of the [U.S.] National Academy of Science.

With this enhanced sensitivity, scientists were able to show a higher association between HPV and many cervical, head/neck, and schistosomiasis-associated bladder cancers than previously realized. They found this can also lead to the ability to detect HPV in the blood and/or serum of women with cervical dysplasia, a common precancerous condition. The technique may be useful for monitoring therapy as well as to make an early diagnosis, since the virus disappears when the dysplasia is removed.

"The MassARRAY system's ability to reliably analyze trace amounts of genetic material and yield superior data quality already has been proven in noninvasive prenatal testing applications,” noted Charles Cantor, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Sequenom (San Diego, CA, USA), which developed the MassARRAY technique. "This study validates that MassARRAY technology offers a level of sensitivity and specificity that is unmatched. This is essential in molecular medicine where noninvasive biomarkers can be used for the detection and treatment of cancer associated with HPV.”

HPV was detected at the single molecule level when subjects were tested for the presence of HPV in serum and/or peripheral blood. HPV DNA was found to be present in a higher percentage of cancer cases than initially assumed, based on prior studies, as well as in the blood of women with dysplasia. Based on the presence or absence of HPV in serum, it might be possible to monitor the occurrence and treatment of these types of cancer noninvasively.

"In the long run, the MassARRAY technology might complement the use of the Pap smear, a traditional screening method for cervical dysplasia,” added Andi Braun, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer of Sequenom.





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