ZytoLight ® SPEC GAS6/13q12 Dual Color Probe

The ZytoLight ® SPEC GAS6/13q12 Dual Color Probe is designed for the detection of amplifications of the chromosomal region harboring the GAS6 gene. The GAS6 (growth arrest-specific 6, a.k.a. AXSF, AXLLG) gene is located on chromosome 13q34 and encodes a ligand for the receptor tyrosine kinase family TAM which includes the proteins TYRO3, AXL, and MERTK. GAS6 has the highest affinity for AXL, followed by TYRO3, and MERTK. Binding of GAS6 to TAM receptors has been shown to promote proliferation and survival of cancer cells in vitro. GAS6 overexpression and its association with poorer prognosis has been reported in several human cancers including glioblastoma, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, ovarian cancer, and cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia. In patients with gastric cancer, high expression of GAS6 was shown to be associated with lymph node metastasis. GAS6 has been shown to be a target for overexpression and amplification in breast cancer positively correlating with a number of favorable prognostic markers including smaller tumor size. Hence, the identification of GAS6 gene copy number changes by Fluorescence in situ Hybridization may be of prognostic significance in various types of tumors. Moreover, interventions which inhibit GAS6 pathways could have therapeutic potential.