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Updated: Oct 18, 2025

Oncogenic Gene Fusion Detection Using Anchored Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Followed by Next Generation Sequencing
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Catalog of 5' fusion partners in RET+ NSCLC Circa 2020

Sai-Hong Ignatius Ou1, Viola W Zhu1

  • 1Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, California.

JTO Clinical and Research Reports
|September 30, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified 48 RET fusion partners in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including novel ones conferring resistance to EGFR inhibitors. Understanding these fusions is crucial for targeted therapy in RET-positive NSCLC.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • RET fusions are actionable oncogenic drivers in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  • Differential responses to therapies exist based on RET fusion partners (e.g., KIF5B-RET vs. non-KIF5B-RET).
  • Identifying fusion partners is critical for effective treatment strategies in RET-positive NSCLC.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively identify and characterize fusion partners involving the RET gene in NSCLC.
  • To investigate novel RET fusion partners, particularly those associated with therapeutic resistance.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review and analysis of published literature and congress proceedings.
  • Identification of unique RET fusion partners and intergenic rearrangements.

Main Results:

  • Identified 48 unique fusion partners for RET in NSCLC.
  • Discovered two novel fusion partners, CCNYL2 and TRIM24, in RET fusions.
  • These novel fusions were associated with resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Conclusions:

  • The study expands the known landscape of RET fusions in NSCLC.
  • Novel RET fusion partners can confer resistance to existing targeted therapies.
  • Characterization of RET fusion partners is essential for developing next-generation therapies for NSCLC.
Keywords:
5′ fusion partnersNSCLCPralsetinibRETSelpercatinibWhole-transcriptome sequencing

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