Identifying Multiple Cancer Proteins in a Single Specimen

Presently, pathologists require separate immuno-histochemically stained samples for each protein that they are trying to detect. In addition, such testing is further limited to essentially the visible light spectrum. Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc. (CRi), a Boston-based biomedical imaging company, has announced the development of a new instrument that will help identify and quantify multiple clinically important proteins in a single tumor sample, while still employing conventional staining techniques.
Using CRi’s Nuance™ multispectral imaging camera (shown on the right), the company promises a major advantage over purely visual analysis. Clifford Hoyt, VP and CTO at CRi says “Our system looks at samples with 10 to 30 different wavelengths, for staining of up to four proteins using different colors. With this technique we can ‘unmix’ multiple different labels (stains) from what would otherwise be a muddy mass of color…This shows us complex protein expression and interaction patterns in a single tumor section.”
Describing breast cancer tissue as an example, Hoyt adds “(this)…might show us, for example, that 25 percent of cells express both ER and PR, 50% either PR or ER, and 25 percent neither. It is a quantitative read-out, so it provides a very specific molecular profile of the specimen analyzed.”
It will also help to minimize sample selection errors, as traditional methods rely on individually stained samples, which may very well be taken from a region of the tumor that does not express the protein being stained for. Ultimately this will help target therapy…and individualize patient treatment.
CRi Incorporated Website…
Press release: New CRi instrument demonstrated: quickly examines multiple proteins in a single cancer sample…