MNAzyme qPCR with superior multiplexing capacity.

Background: MNAzymes (nucleic acid enzymes formed from multiple partial enzymes) can be linked to PCR to provide a highly specific method for target detection and quantification. We investigated the feasibility of multiplexing MNAzyme quantitative PCR (qPCR) methods.

Methods: We combined MNAzyme components with PCR primers and standard qPCR reagents to perform MNAzyme qPCR and reverse-transcription qPCR (RT-qPCR) assays with a set of universal reporter probes.

Diagnosis and monitoring of PML-RARalpha-positive acute promyelocytic leukemia by quantitative RT-PCR.

The last 15 yr have produced dramatic improvements in the survival rate of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). These improvements have been due mainly to the introduction of targeted therapies and improved methods for diagnosing and monitoring this disease. The underlying molecular lesion in APL involves a t(15:17) translocation which leads to the generation of PML-RARalpha fusion transcripts and proteins.