Ventana and ACD Promote In Situ RNA Hybridization Assay

Ventana Medical Systems (Tucson, AZ, USA) and Advanced Cell Diagnostics (ACD; Hayward, CA, USA) entered a worldwide copromotion agreement to make available the first fully automated RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) assay system with single-molecule sensitivity.

ACD's RNAscope provides the first opportunity to profile single cell gene expression in situ, unlocking the full potential of RNA biomarkers. The targeted molecular signature of every cell in a sample is revealed and measured precisely, all within the intricate cellular and tissue architecture of clinical specimens.


RNA in situ hybridization allows the analysis of gene expression in the context of tissue architecture in areas of oncology, virology, and neuroscience research. RNAscope provides scientists with the capability to interrogate the function and disease relevance of any expressed genes in situ, especially for the approximately 5,000 genes and 15,000 noncoding RNAs in the human genome where no other technologies can adequately address, according to Ventana and ACD. In addition, RNAscope allows the scientists to tap into the estimated 400 million clinically annotated, archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens for retrospective clinical studies in translational research.

The RNAscope FFPE reagent systems automated on the Ventana Discovery Ultra and Discovery XT offers scientists a powerful tool with unprecedented levels of performance.

The two companies have partnered to automate this assay system on the Ventana Discovery series slide staining platforms. The product offerings are expected to become commercially available in the first quarter of 2012 and will initially be offered for research-use only (RUO) applications.

However, Dr. Yuling Luo, PhD, founder, president, and CEO of ACD said that RNAscope’s ability to generate robust and reproducible results from routine clinical specimens "makes the technology a compelling platform for clinical diagnostic applications in the foreseeable future."

"Given the fact that the majority of biomarkers are discovered from genomic research and are RNA by nature, the automation of RNAscope represents an important milestone that will accelerate biomarker research into a new level of sophistication," Dr. Luo, "RNAscope will become an equally indispensable tool alongside immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction for researchers in life sciences and drug development."

Related Links:
Ventana Medical Systems
Advanced Cell Diagnostics