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Agilent Technologies Microarrays Play Role in Researchers’ Study of
Autism’s Relationship to Extra or Missing Genes
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 17, 2008 -- Agilent Technologies today announced
that a breakthrough study establishing a relationship between autism spectrum
disorders (ASD) and extra or missing genes on a section of chromosome 16 used
Agilent microarrays to detect these microdeletions and microduplications.
The study, “Association between Microdeletion and Microduplication at 16p11.2
and Autism,” published Jan. 9 in The New England Journal of Medicine online,
represents the largest, most complete genome scan for ASDs to date. Completed in
October, it used three independent data sources. One analysis was conducted by
the Autism Consortium, a collaboration of 14 leading universities and medical
centers including Children’s Hospital Boston. Another was completed by deCODE
Genetics Inc., in Iceland. The third was performed at Children’s Hospital Boston
using clinical samples from its own patients.
Researchers screened samples from 936 children from Children’s Hospital Boston
using Agilent comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) microarrays. Microarrays
are glass slides containing thousands of DNA “features” that enable scientists
to examine large numbers of genes simultaneously. CGH microarrays are designed
specifically to detect chromosomal additions and deletions.
The Children’s Hospital team used Agilent’s online design tool, eArray, to
develop custom microarrays for the study. “The ability to reliably find
extremely small missing or extra pieces of DNA has evolved just within the past
six to eight months,” noted co-author Yiping Shen, Ph.D., director of Research
and Development at the Children’s Genetic Diagnostic Laboratory.
Using Agilent microarrays, Children’s Hospital researchers found five instances
of the deletion among 512 patients referred for developmental delay or suspected
ASDs. In addition, the Children’s Hospital team identified four patients with a
duplication rather than a deletion.
“Our findings certainly have the potential for use in evaluating children for
development delay and autism,” says Bai-Lin Wu, Ph.D., director of the
Children’s Hospital Genetic Diagnostic Laboratory, leader of the Children’s team
on the study and a senior author of the paper.
“Genomics researchers demand tools that give them the freedom to design their
own types of experiments, deliver reproducible results and spend fewer dollars
per experiment,” said Yvonne Linney, Ph.D., vice president and general manager,
Genomics, at Agilent. “This work is a good example of how far the technology has
come.”
The full text of the study is available at
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/ NEJMoa075974 .
More information on autism testing at Children’s Hospital Boston is available at
www.childrenshospital.org/clinicalservices/Site1925/mainpageS1925P9.html .
More information about Agilent’s genomics tools is available at
www.opengenomics.com .
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world’s premier measurement company
and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and
chemical analysis. The company’s 19,000 employees serve customers in more than
110 countries. Agilent had net revenues of $5.4 billion in fiscal 2007.
Information about Agilent is available on the Web at
www.agilent.com .
# # #
NOTE TO EDITORS: Further technology, corporate citizenship and executive news is
available on the Agilent news site at
www.agilent.com/go/news .
Press release URL:
http://www.agilent.com/about/newsroom/presrel/2008/17jan-ca08003.html
Additional metadata keywords (for Web use only): custom microarrays,
personalized medicine, biochips.
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PRCA08003
EDITORIAL CONTACTS:
Claudia Hachtel, Agilent Technologies
Nicki Muir, Alto Marketing
+49-7243-602 100
+44-1489-55 76 72
claudia_hachtel@agilent.com
nickim@alto-marketing.com
Sarah Perceval, Alto Marketing
+44-1489-55 76 72
sarahp@alto-marketing.com
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