Past, Present and Future Advances in MSI Testing

Why is it imperative to utilize time tested, established and deeply peer-reviewed techniques now and well into the future? In this webinar Dr Jeff Bacher covers the history and current trends of Microsatellite Instability (MSI) characterization of tumor tissue, and offers perspective based upon recent scientific research regarding MSI. MSI characterization of tumor tissue has been routinely performed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) resolution for almost two decades with the goal of identifying functional evidence of genomic instability (loss of DNA mismatch repair system) associated with research in hereditary cancers called, Lynch Syndrome.  Recently, MSI as a biomarker has been expanded past its classical association with Lynch Syndrome, to also becoming a solid tumor, tissue agnostic marker for patient selection for new class of cancer immunotherapeutics called immune check point inhibitors.  Because of the rapid advancement of research around MSI as biomarker, there is often confusion regarding the history and evolution of MSI as biomarker and the differences between different technologies or techniques for identifying MSI status. Dr. Bacher also discusses techniques like immunohistochemistry mismatch repair (MMR by IHC) staining and how they compare to MSI by PCR/CE.