PharmFrag: An Easy and Fast Multiplex Pharmacogenetics Assay to Simultaneously Analyze 9 Genetic Polymorphisms Involved in Response Variability of Anticancer Drugs

Regarding several cytotoxic agents, it was evidenced that genetic polymorphisms in genes encoding enzymes involved in their metabolism are associated with higher risk of toxicity. Genotyping these genes before treatment is a valuable strategy to prevent side effects and to predict individual response to drug therapy. This pharmacogenetic approach is recommended for chemotherapies such as thiopurines (azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, thioguanine), irinotecan, and fluoropyrimidines (capecitabine and 5-fluorouracil). In this study, we aimed at developing and validating a fast, cost-effective, and easily implementable multiplex genotyping method suitable for analyzing a panel of nine variants involved in the pharmacogenetics of widely prescribed anticancer drugs. We designed a multiplex-specific PCR assay where fragments were labeled by two different fluorescent dye markers (HEX/FAM) identifiable by fragment analysis. These two labels were used to discriminate bi-allelic variants, while the size of the fragment allowed the identification of a particular polymorphism location. Variants of interest were TPMT (rs1800462, rs1142345, rs1800460), NUDT15 (rs116855232), DPYD (rs55886062, rs3918290, rs67376798, rs75017182), and UGT1A1 (rs8175347). The assay was repeatable, and genotypes could be determined when DNA sample amounts ranged from 25 to 100 ng. Primers and dye remained stable in a ready-to-use mixture solution after five freeze–thaw cycles. Accuracy was evidenced by the consistency of 187 genotyping results obtained with our multiplex assay and a reference method. The developed method is fast and cost-effective in simultaneously identifying nine variants involved in the pharmacological response of anticancer drugs. This assay can be easily implemented in laboratories for widespread access to pharmacogenetics in clinical practice.