Detection of methylated DNA

1. A method of detecting methylated nucleotides in a DNA sample, comprising the steps of:

treating a first sample and a second sample of DNA with a reagent which discriminates between methylated and non-methylated nucleotides to provide a first and a second treated DNA, respectively;

exposing the first treated DNA to a first ion sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) having a floating gate, wherein the first ISFET having a first output signal;

exposing the second treated DNA to a second ISFET having a floating gate, wherein the second ISFET having a second output signal;

extending DNA strands of the first and the second treated DNA by adding one or more nucleotides to the DNA strands;

monitoring changes in the first and the second output signals due to ions released when nucleotides are incorporated into the DNA strands; and

providing the first and the second output signals to a circuit, which is electrically coupled to the first and the second output signals, wherein the circuit is arranged to provide an output signal of relative methylation.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said extending DNA strands comprises amplifying the first and the second treated DNA.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein amplification of the first and the second treated DNA is carried out using PCR.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the reagent comprises bisulfite which converts only non-methylated cytosines in the first sample and the second sample of DNA to uracil, and the PCR is carried out using methylation-specific primers which enable only DNA strands resulting from methylated DNA to be amplified.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein amplification of the first and the second treated DNA is carried out using isothermal amplification.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the reagent comprises bisulfite which converts only non-methylated cytosines in the first sample and the second sample of DNA to uracil, and the isothermal amplification is carried out using non-methylation-specific primers which enable only DNA strands resulting from unmethylated DNA to be amplified.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said extending DNA strands comprises sequencing the first and the second treated DNA.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said extending DNA strands comprises amplifying the first and the second treated DNA and sequencing the first and the second treated DNA.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said monitoring is carried out during said sequencing.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reagent is an antibody which selectively binds to the methyl group of methylated nucleotides in the first sample and the second sample of DNA.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the first and the second treated DNAs are subjected to immunoprecipitation, thereby separating antibody-bound DNA from non-antibody bound DNA.

12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising subjecting the first sample and the second sample of DNA to a process which breaks up DNA into smaller fragments, prior to treatment with the reagent.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the process is sonication.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reagent comprises bisulfite which converts only non-methylated cytosines in the first sample and the second sample of DNA to uracil.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second sample of DNA is a reference sample having a known amount of methylation.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first sample of DNA is a methylated sample and is compared to the second sample of DNA which is an unmethylated sample.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the output signal of relative methylation is compared to a threshold signal to indicate a potential diagnostic or therapeutic outcome associated with a comparative methylation value at the site of interest.

18. Apparatus for measuring DNA methylation comprising:

a first Ion Sensitive Field Effect Transistor (ISFET) having a floating gate and exposable to a first sample containing DNA;

a second ISFET having a floating gate and exposable to a second sample containing DNA; and

a processor comprising a circuit, which is electrically coupled to an output of the first ISFET and an output of the second ISFET, wherein the circuit is arranged to provide an output signal of relative methylation, which output signal is derived from signals received from the first ISFET and the second ISFET.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the first sample is a methylated sample and is compared to the second sample which is an unmethylated sample.

20. Apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the second sample is a reference sample having a known amount of methylation.

21. Apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the output signal is a ratio of the outputs of the first and the second ISFET.

22. Apparatus according to claim 18 , further comprising a plurality of first ISFETs, each ISFET having a floating gate and exposable to samples looking at different methylation clusters.

23. Apparatus according to claims 18 , wherein the ISFETs are biased to operate in the weak inversion region.

24. Apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the outputs of the first and the second ISFETs are electrical currents and the output signal of the circuit is a ratio of said electrical currents.

25. Apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the ISFETs and circuit are integrated on a substrate, transistors of the ISFETs forming part of the circuit.

26. Apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the output signal is compared to a threshold signal to indicate a potential diagnostic or therapeutic outcome associated with a comparative methylation value at the site of interest.