German firm Qiagen has announced a series of new products to further enhance cancer research as well as to enable urine collection and stabilisation as a new approach for liquid biopsy. These three new products, along with the IVD version of Qiagen’s digital PCR platform QIAcuity, are set for launch in mid-2024.

The QIAcuity dPCR PanCancer Kits will allow researchers using Qiagen’s QIAcuity dPCR system to detect multiple EGFR and BRAF hallmark mutations at the same time and with high sensitivity. EGFR and BRAF are genes essential for normal cell growth and function, but mutations in these genes can result in cancer development.

To advance research on how the immune system interacts with cancer, Qiagen has introduced the QIAseq Targeted RNA-seq Panel for T-cell receptors. T-cell receptors play a crucial role in the adaptive immune system, which is responsible for recognising and eliminating abnormal cells, such as cancer cells. Further, The PAXgene Urine Liquid Biopsy Set currently being developed by PreAnalytiX, a Qiagen and BD joint venture, will provide an easy-to-use, non-invasive sampling approach to liquid biopsy and address current preanalytical workflow gaps for cell-free DNA in urine (ucfDNA). By introducing preservatives into urine samples, it will prevent the rapid, post-collection degradation of ucfDNA and minimise the release of potentially misleading genomic DNA, both of which can make ucfDNA analysis unreliable or even impossible.