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Dual-Stain Technique for MiRNA

Ventana's method uses a tissue pre-treatment for the detection of both miRNA and protein molecules

Compiled by Michael Jones

Posted on: March 11, 2013
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Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (Ventana), a member of the Roche Group, recently introduced a first-of-its-kind 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. 

ADVANCE spoke with Esteban Roberts, PhD, a staff scientist in the Technology and Applied Research group at Ventana Medical Systems, Inc, about the new test.

ADVANCE: Why was this product created?
Roberts: Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (Ventana) developed the fully automated technique to detect both miRNA and protein on a single slide to allow researchers the opportunity to evaluate the relationship between miRNAs and the proteins whose translation they regulate in the context of tumor morphology within a single tumor tissue section. 

ADVANCE: How does it work?
Roberts: Ventana's method uses a tissue pre-treatment that is complimentary for the detection of both miRNA and protein molecules and allows their detection to be performed on the same tissue section on a single slide. We've coupled this to the VENTANA fully automated Discovery ULTRA platform, which gives the user the flexibility necessary to request stringent miRNA hybridization and antibody incubation conditions. These conditions are combined with currently available VENTANA chromogenic detection reagents to yield the automated detection of miRNA and protein. 

 
 ADVANCE thanks Ventana
ADVANCE: How does it improve upon already-available technology?
Roberts: Currently available technology to detect miRNAs and proteins in tissue either use non-contextual molecular methods like RT-PCR plus Western analysis or manual in situ methods using a tumor tissue section for each molecular detection in order to preserve contextual information, followed by a visual overlay.
Performing in situ detection using multiple sections followed by visual overlay satisfies the need for special, incompatible tissue pre-treatments required to detect either miRNA or protein.

The Ventana method centers around a tissue pre-treatment that is complimentary for the simulateneous detection of miRNA and protein on a single slide. Therefore, we leverage currently available VENTANA staining technologies and the fully automated Discovery ULTRA platform to achieve a fully automated miRNA+protein dual detection capability on a single slide; something that has not been previously accomplished. 

ADVANCE: What is unique about it?
Roberts: What is unique about our technique is the ability to detect both miRNA and protein on a single tumor tissue section on a single slide in a fully automated fashion. 

ADVANCE: How will it help patients?
Roberts: Although this technique is still very much an experimental method, significant work is being done in the cancer research community to explore how miRNA profiles might be relevant to disease classification and assessment of clinical outcomes like survival and response to therapy. The hope is that this type of research leads to future diagnostic applications that impact patient care decisions. 

ADVANCE: How does it help lab professionals perform their jobs?
Roberts: Because the current market for this technique is the research sector, lab professionals wishing to interrogate the various miRNA-protein signaling axes that impact tumorigenesis will now be able to do so simultaneously in the context of tumor morphology using brightfield visualization of chromogenic signals representing miRNA and protein.

Disclaimer: The Ventana miRNA and protein dual-stain technique and the DISCOVERY ULTRA System are for Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. 

Esteban Roberts, PhD, earned a doctorate in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Arizona and is a trained cell biologist with expertise in cell signaling pathways. Esteban has been involved in the creation of companion diagnostics and emerging technologies at Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. since 2008.

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