Merck Millipore CpG WIZ P16 Amplification Kit

Expression of p16*, a tumor suppressor gene, is repressed in a variety of cancers such as bladder, colon and retinoblastoma. Methylation of CpG islands in the p16 promoter has been shown to be responsible for inactivation of this gene in certain cases. The CpG WIZ p16 Amplification Kit is used for determining the methylation status of the p16 promoter by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). The kit contains primers targeted to regions of the promoter where the sequences are most divergent after bisulfite treatment. PCR parameters have been identified such that all primer sets in the kit amplify under the same conditions. Control genomic DNA samples (methylated and unmethylated) for p16 are also included.
Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) is a new technology for sensitive detection of abnormal gene methylation utilizing small amounts of DNA (Herman, 1996 ). This process employs an initial bisulfite reaction to modify the DNA, followed by PCR amplification with specific primers designed to distinguish methylated from unmethylated DNA.
*p16 is covered under U.S. patents 5,801,236, 5,843,756, and 6,090,578.