Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a dynamic disease with a diverse genetic landscape. Complex heterogeneity of clonal architecture and genotypic and phenotypic drifts that can occur during treatment explain why a significant proportion of patients in complete remission subsequently relapse and succumb to the disease.
Measurable residual disease (MRD) testing has become the standard in AML and other cancers to detect the presence of residual leukemic cells that persist following therapy and may be predictive of relapse. Testing for MRD can shape risk stratification and guide early follow-up treatment decisions to ultimately improve patient outcomes.
MRD typically represents an evolved disease distinct from the original diagnosis, and the high degree of biological heterogeneity and clonal evolution in AML has made it a challenge to monitor MRD. Current single-analyte approaches used to detect MRD, such as multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) and bulk next-generation sequencing (NGS), are limited by both false-positive and false-negative results. Moreover, concordant single-analyte MRD data (e.g., MRD positive) can often lead to discordant patient outcomes (e.g., relapse versus non-relapse), highlighting the fragmented data and incomplete insights both approaches provide on their own. Recently published single-cell data leveraging Tapestri® Platform’s sensitivity and multiomics capabilities further emphasize the need to assess clinical sample data holistically across multiple modalities.
To more adequately address the existing gaps, Mission Bio has introduced the Tapestri Single-Cell MRD AML Multiomics Assay. The assay is the industry’s first approach that integrates genotypic and immunophenotypic assessment in the same individual cells, enabling scMRD detection and characterization with unparalleled resolution, sensitivity, and specificity. This approach enables the deconstruction of the complex heterogeneity driving disease transformation and delineation between leukemic clones and clonal hematopoiesis, ultimately improving the identification of residual disease and potential therapeutic strategies.
