The KRAS oncogene is involved in the pathogenesis of several types of cancer, particularly colorectal cancer (CRC). The most frequent mutations in this gene are associated with poor survival, increased tumor aggressiveness and resistance to therapy with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibodies. For this reason, KRAS mutation testing has become increasingly common in clinical practice for personalized cancer treatments of CRC patients. Detection methods for KRAS mutations are currently expensive, laborious, time-consuming and often lack of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. In this study, we describe the development of a Lab-on-Chip assay for genotyping of KRAS mutational status. This assay, based on the In-Check platform, integrates microfluidic handling, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a low-density microarray. This integrated sample-to-result system enables the detection of KRAS point mutations, including those occurring in codons 12 and 13 of exon 2, 59 and 61 of exon 3, 117 and 146 of exon 4. Thanks to its miniaturization, automation, rapid analysis, minimal risk of sample contamination, increased accuracy and reproducibility of results, this Lab-on-Chip platform may offer immediate opportunities to simplify KRAS genotyping into clinical routine.
Keywords: KRAS; Lab-on-Chip; Microarray; PCR; diagnostic; nucleic acids analysis.