AML Measurable Residual Disease (MRD) Test Cost & Procedure

Overview of AML

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a very diverse collection of cancers that are fueled by different mutations and/or chromosomal abnormalities. The disease, which affects both the blood and bone marrow, is distinguished by the clonal growth of immature "blast cells," which results in inefficient hematopoiesis (the process of making blood cells), and ultimately bone marrow failure.

Relapse of AML

AML relapse typically results from the appearance of a few remaining original leukemic clones or the emergence of a new, genetically related clone. In the latter scenario, a leukemic clone may evolve survival advantages and resistance mutations that might trigger disease relapse4. In order to find a solution, it is crucial to eliminate even the tiniest number of leukemic clones.

Measurable residual disease (MRD) detection refers to the process of finding these remaining clones. According to studies, MRD may be a reliable indicator of survival and relapse, which may have long-term effects on the therapeutic approaches used to treat AML.

Detecting Conventional MRD in AML Samples

Due to the large degree of disease heterogeneity, it is difficult to assess MRD in AML samples since it requires highly sensitive detection of minute amounts of residual disease in addition to the necessity to cover a number of indicators. Although there are many technologies available, conventional methods have significant drawbacks and lack uniformity and comparability.

Cytometry in Flow

Multi-parameter flow cytometry (MFC) is used to identify MRD by analysing antigens linked to leukemic cells, which are uncommon in healthy bone marrow. Unlike qPCR or NGS, this approach does not keep track of specific mutations. The availability of MFC in numerous laboratories and its reasonable turnaround times are two of its benefits.

A New Methodology for MRD Analysis

There is now a lot of research being done to improve standards and assess new genetic testing techniques for MRD in AML. The developing technology of next-generation sequencing (NGS) shows considerable potential for MRD evaluation. Similar to PCR, NGS can monitor a variety of genomic changes, and unlike MFC, the analysis is not dependent on subjective interpretation. The main benefit of NGS is the simultaneous evaluation of many genomic targets, allowing laboratories to use a single, all-encompassing test to evaluate a variety of mutations present in various samples.