Ventana Medical Systems Inc, Tucson, Ariz, a member of the Roche Group, is introducing fully-automated staining technique that will allow researchers to examine miRNAs and proteins related to cancer in the same section of tumor tissue. Detecting miRNAs and proteins together, in the context of the tumor microenvironment, allows researchers to visualize the association of oncogenic protein expression to those miRNAs involved in the regulation of the mRNA species responsible for protein production.
James W. Welsh, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Radiology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, believes this new technology could eventually work as a companion diagnostic tool for future miRNA pathway targeting drugs. "For the first time, using this technique, researchers will be able to observe the relationships between specific miRNAs and their known oncogenic protein targets," says Welsh. "In lung cancer, we’ve begun to identify pairs of miRNAs and proteins that we believe play a role in treatment resistance and metastasis; utilizing this new protocol will hopefully allow us to better understand the correlation between the two." In the future, Welsh adds, miRNAs could be utilized as biomarkers or therapeutics for lung cancer as well as other solid tumors.
Unlike traditional enzymatic retrieval, which is the current industry standard for miRNA in situ hybridization (ISH), the new technique from Ventana uses non-enzymatic pre-treatments, enabling the detection of both targets while preserving tissue morphology. Developed for use on the DISCOVERY ULTRA instrument, the application is fully automated, allowing for greater reproducibility of target detection.
The Ventana miRNA and protein dual-stain technique and the DISCOVERY ULTRA System are for research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
