What are the advantages of NGS for HLA typing over conventional methods?

Advantages of NGS for HLA typing

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has several key advantages over conventional methods like PCR-SSO and PCR-sequencing for HLA typing.

High resolution

NGS enables unambiguous, high-resolution HLA typing results down to the allele level from a single assay. Conventional methods require multiple assays and analysis programs to achieve high-resolution typing.

Single workflow

NGS allows sample-to-result HLA typing using a single assay system and analysis pipeline, eliminating the need for multiple assays and systems.

Haplotype phasing

Paired-end sequencing used in NGS directly resolves the phase of variants, allowing unambiguous assignment of alleles to each homologous chromosome. This is not possible with conventional methods.

High throughput

NGS enables simultaneous high-resolution typing of multiple samples and multiple HLA loci in a single run. This increases efficiency and throughput over conventional methods.

Cost efficiency

As NGS technologies and chemistries improve, NGS is becoming increasingly cost-efficient for HLA typing labs compared to traditional Sanger sequencing

Various open-source and commercial HLA typing algorithms and software pipelines have been developed specifically for NGS data, enabling streamlined analysis