New technologies for CNAPS: massively multiplex PCR

This talk will provide an overview of technologies and products that have been developed by Natera over the past 10 years. By continuously building and expanding on its molecular biology and algorithmic technology toolkit, Natera has launched several products in the field of CNAPS. Natera’s first product in preimplantation genetic screening was based on a SNP-based approach for the detection of aneuploidies. This statistical framework was then applied to the field of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). In order to measure thousands of SNPs, Natera developed the ability to amplify tens of thousands of amplicons in a single PCR reaction, which led to a launch of the Panorama NIPT test, which has been ordered nearly two million times, to date.

Natera expanded the application of this core technology to non-invasive paternity testing, NIPT for Microdeletions, detection of copy number variants in oncology and monitoring allograft monitoring in kidney transplant recipients. In the past three years, Natera showed a proof-of-concept study (TRACERx) using bespoke PCR assays specifically developed to identify somatic variants, specific to each patient’s tumor. This study led to the development and launch of the Signatera test, a personalized, tumor-specific, diagnostic test for the detection of molecular residual disease (MRD). Signatera has been shown to identify MRD with high sensitivity and specificity in patients who have previously been diagnosed with cancer, predicting relapse months ahead of radiological imaging. With continuous advancements in design and technology, Natera is committed to developing breakthrough technologies in several sectors of healthcare, providing tools for better management of disease and improving patient outcomes.