Diagnostics Products

Introduction

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technology that underpins the entire AMPLICOR PCR Test portfolio developed by Roche Diagnostics. It is a technique that imitates a cell’s ability to replicate DNA by generating multiple copies of specific sequences of DNA through amplification. In clinical diagnostics, a specimen of genetic material weighing only one-trillionth of a gram can be repeatedly copied by PCR to provide sufficient material to detect the presence or absence of a virus as well as to quantitate its levels in the blood. Among the important applications for PCR are archaeology, forensics, biological research as well as clinical diagnostics. HIV viral load testing is perhaps the most clinically significant application of PCR currently available. The AMPLICOR HIV-1 MONITORä Test has been used in the following applications in the field of HIV: