Modern Multiplex Solutions for the Research Lab

Key considerations for choosing to Multiplex

• The need to extract the maximum amount of data from a limited sample, multiplex technology enables the user to detect many biomarkers in a single tissue section.
• Multiplexing can help determine which targets are important, by starting with a large range of potential markers and using the resulting spatial data to refine to the critical few.
• Multiplex staining on tissue provides cell-specific context that molecular techniques and PCR can’t provide.
• Tissue multiplexing visualizes both protein and nucleic acid targets in the same tissue section.

Immuno-Oncology

Get the full picture for your tumor microenvironment research

Immuno-oncology has been one of the primary drivers of the current multiplex technology development. Multiplex immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples enables researchers to study the spatial relationships between different cell phenotypes in situ. Tonsil is often the first step to check that the antibodies are identifying the appropriate immune cells. After that, the actual tumor microenvironment can be visualized with hematologic samples, staining often determines cell lineage/origin as well. This phased process of optimization is long but ensures fidelity of results.

Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) Assay

Nucleic Acids in Cancer research

FISH is a sensitive, accurate, and reliable technique widely applied in cancer research. The genetic defects uncovered by FISH represent early genetic triggers or events responsible for cancer at stem-cell level. FISH provides cell-based context for specific genomic aberrations and plays an important role in detecting specific biomarkers in solid and hematologic neoplasms

Quantitative Multicolor QM- FISH

Pairs of probes have been conventionally used to detect a single genetic event like deletion or amplification of a locus or chromosomal translocation. However, with the discovery of multigenic diseases including cancer, simultaneous detection of such genes by using multiple probes on a single slide aids understanding of disease progression (quantitative multicolor FISH).

Tissue Heterogeneity

It is easy to think of heterogeneity between tumor and non-tumor tissue, but it is also well known that there is heterogeneity within the tumor itself. Not every cell will stain the same and not every marker will be present in the same cells. Multiplex IHC and ISH uncover this multi-faceted approach to tissue heterogeneity and provide context.

Example of breast cancer image using Aperio Image Analysis software.