Affymetrix Chromosome Analysis Suite (ChAS) 3.0 Software with Concurrent Molecular Analysis Profiling (CoMAP)

The Affymetrix Concurrent Molecular Analysis Profiling (CoMAP) program enables cancer researchers to gain rapid insight into the functional impact of DNA copy-number alterations by combining whole-genome copy-number data with gene expression profiles to easily visualise and identify cancer driver events.

Recent whole-genome DNA analysis of cancer samples has demonstrated that copy-number alterations affect more of the genome than any other DNA abnormality. Many of these alterations are ‘drivers’ of cancer, while others are merely ‘passenger’ events. Deciphering which DNA alterations are driver or passenger events has been a challenge.

The CoMAP capability enables the concurrent correlation of genome-wide gene expression changes with copy-number alterations, helping to identify and prioritise the number of potential driver events - which in turn can lead to the identification of functional biomarkers. This is particularly valuable to researchers studying C class tumours, which are characterised by functional copy-number changes, as opposed to somatic mutations (M class).

The capability is included in the Affymetrix Chromosome Analysis Suite (ChAS) 3.0 Software, enabling researchers to analyse and visualise the functional impact of copy-number changes on gene expression in cancer samples, including degraded FFPE tissue. The capability instantaneously combines and correlates whole-genome copy-number data with mRNA and miRNA data generated from Affymetrix tools such as OncoScan FFPE Assay Kit, GeneChip Human Transcriptome Array 2.0 and GeneChip miRNA 4.0 Array.

The approach enables researchers to go from samples to insights in just three days. Correlation maps may be generated for all RefSeq genes or a customised gene list.