Validation of New High Throughput, Low Cost HPV Test for Cervical Cancer Prevention
A next-generation sequencing assay for detection of 51 types of human papillomavirus (HPV), called TypeSeq, was developed at the Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory. The assay provides a high-throughput, low-cost, and reliable method of detecting cervical precancer and estimating HPV vaccination efficacy. These findings were published June 26, 2019, in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Sarah Wagner, B.S., Nicolas Wentzensen, M.D., Ph.D., M.S., and colleagues, validated the performance of TypeSeq in over 5,100 cervical samples from two large epidemiological studies, the Study to Understand Cervical Cancer Early Endpoints and Determinants (SUCCEED) and the Costa Rica Vaccine Trial. They found high agreement of TypeSeq data with two well-established HPV genotyping assays, Linear Array and SPF10-LiPA, with great accuracy for cervical precancer detection and HPV vaccine efficacy estimates. With the variety of HPV genotypes that differ in carcinogenic potential, identifying specific HPV types remains paramount to the prevention of cervical cancer.
Currently-available genotyping assays are low-throughput, commonly very laborious, and costly. In this latest study, the researchers show that TypeSeq accurately detects 51 HPV genotypes at high throughput and low cost. Due to its novel features, the assay has been transferred to reference laboratories and international study sites with HPV genotyping needs, and it is currently being used as a gold standard in some regulatory trials. The authors note that TypeSeq may develop into a new reference standard for HPV genotyping and further advance the prevention of cervical cancer.
Reference:
Wagner S et al. Evaluation of TypeSeq, a novel high-throughput, low-cost, next-generation sequencing based assay for detection of 51 HPV genotypes. The Journal of Infectious Diseases 2019.