Leica Biosystems and CST Partnership Enables Flexible, High-Throughput Spatial Biology Research

Fully automated SignalStar™ Multiplex IHC protocol on the BOND RX by Leica Biosystems eliminates hands-on time for streamlined image generation and analysis in two days

Melbourne, Australia , November 4, 2024 – Leica Biosystems is pleased to announce a collaboration with Cell Signaling Technology (CST), a life science discovery technology company and leading provider of antibodies, kits, and services, to enable faster, more streamlined spatial biology research on the BOND RX Fully Automated Research Stainer. The partnership significantly reduces hands-on time for scientists leveraging the SignalStar Multiplex IHC assays by enabling easy-to-use, automated BOND RX and BOND RX^m protocols to generate 8-plex multiplex IHC (mIHC) images in just two days.

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Mid-plex antibody panels enable comprehensive analysis of complex tissue samples and are instrumental for observing colocalization patterns in solid-state tumor research. Above: SignalStar immunohistochemical analysis of paraffin-embedded human squamous cell lung carcinoma using PD-L1 (E1L3N®) & CO-0005-594 SignalStar™ Oligo-Antibody Pair #28249, as well as other SignalStar antibody pairs. Staining was performed on the BOND RX by Leica Biosystems. 

The SignalStar mIHC assay is a revolutionary tool for mid-plex spatial biology research that leverages highly validated and customizable, ready-to-go antibody panels and a proprietary technology to amplify antibody signal. With the SignalStar technology, researchers can easily interrogate tissue architecture and biomarker co-expression patterns for up to eight targets in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. The flexible antibody panel design allows targets to be switched out at any time, meaning researchers can easily adjust to changing experimental needs without the need to re-optimize or re-validate antibody panels. Together, the SignalStar technology and BOND RX deliver assay results 70% faster from sample to imaging than other mIHC methods.

“Through this partnership with Leica Biosystems, the powerful SignalStar assay is now more accessible to researchers—even those without a spatial biology background—helping to enable high-throughput multiplexing experiments in rapidly growing areas like immunology and neurology,” says Roberto (Roby) Polakiewicz, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at CST. “With other mIHC methods, antibody panels can take months to design and optimize and need to be reconfigured if and when experimental needs change. SignalStar now works on the BOND RX out-of-the-box, further reducing time to results, and the flexibility of antibody panel design allows researchers to easily update their assays as research evolves.”

The BOND RX staining platform lets researchers fully automate emerging technologies, customize all protocol segments, and put theories into action. The BOND Covertile protects tissue morphology and enables gentle and consistent reagent application. Together, the BOND Covertile and gentle nature of SignalStar protect samples and enable downstream analysis on the same tissue. Utilizing the BOND RX for multiplexing enables researchers to maximize the data achieved per sample.

To learn more about the SignalStar technology, Leica Biosystems, and the newly launched solutions, please visit https://www.leicabiosystems.com/us/life-sciences-and-research-solutions/partners/ or cellsignal.com/applications/signalstar-multiplex-ihc-overview
For Research Use Only. Not For Use In Diagnostic Procedures.

About Cell Signaling Technology
Cell Signaling Technology (CST) is a different kind of life science company—one founded, owned, and run by active research scientists, with the highest standards of product and service quality, technological innovation, and scientific rigor. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Danvers, Massachusetts, USA, CST employs over 600 people worldwide. We consistently provide fellow scientists around the globe with best-in-class products and services to fuel their quests for discovery. CST is a company of caring people driven by a devotion to facilitating good science—a company committed to doing the right thing for our Customers, our communities, and our planet. cellsignal.com

About Leica Biosystems
Leica Biosystems is a cancer diagnostics company and a global leader in workflow solutions. The company offers a comprehensive product range for each step in the pathology process, from sample preparation and staining to imaging and reporting. As the only company to own the full workflow from biopsy to diagnosis, Leica Biosystems is uniquely positioned to break down the barriers between each step. The company’s mission of “Advancing Cancer Diagnostics, Improving Lives” is at the heart of its corporate culture.