Methylation-specific PCR (MSP)

Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) is a laboratory technique used to detect chemical modifications called methyl groups on DNA, which can influence gene activity. By treating DNA with chemicals and then using specialized primers, MSP can determine whether specific gene regions are methylated or not. This helps researchers understand how gene expression is regulated and can be important in studying diseases like cancer, where abnormal methylation patterns often occur. MSP provides a sensitive and specific way to analyze these modifications quickly and accurately.