9:00 – 9:40 Registration
9:40 – 9:55 Introduction by the Chair: Dr Will Howat, Cambridge Research Institute, Cancer Research UK
9:55 – 10:25 In situ analysis of inflammation in man and disease models
Professor Jon D. Laman, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
In situ dissection of immunopathogenic mechanisms underlying inflammatory disease is an exciting challenge. Inflammation involves complex interactions of the target organs each with its respective tissue barriers, autoantigens and composition, the immune system including the draining lymph nodes and its wide array of effector cells and molecules (cytokines, chemokines, antibody), and finally microbes of both pathogens and normal flora. The talk will provide prime examples of in situ analysis of human tissues as well as animal models (mice, non-human primates). It also aims to be very practical, providing ideas and access to protocols and references suitable for your own research
10:25 – 10:55 Multimodality Imaging and the Analysis Preclinical Therapeutics Studies
Dr Kenneth Olive, Cambridge Research Institute, UK
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma is among the most lethal of human malignancies and is lacking in effective treatments. Current approaches to drug development rely on xenografts and other ectopic models which do not accurately recapitulate the drug response of human PDA patients. We show that a recently developed genetically engineered model of PDA exhibits the innate chemoresistance characteristic of human PDA. We also demonstrate a generalized defect in small molecule delivery as the underlying mechanism of chemoresistance, using multiple imaging techniques including immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, high resolution ultrasound, contrast ultrasound and dynamic contrast enhance MRI.
10:55 – 11:10 Multiplexing molecular markers in vivo and ex vivo with multispectral imaging
James Mansfield. Biomedical Systems, CRI, Inc., USA
In studying gene and protein expression in solid tumors and other tissues, it can be important not just to measure overall levels, but also to monitor spatial distribution, preserving architectural clues and cell-cell arrangements. This task is difficult in the case of colocalized signals, as well as in the presence of autofluorescence commonly found in formalin-fixed specimens. Multispectral imaging (MSI) greatly alleviates these difficulties, enabling highresolution multiplexing and increased sensitivity, especially in the presence of significant autofluorescence. It can be used on standard microscopes, with no requirement for complex confocal instrumentation. In addition, the same approach can be used for pre-clinical small animal imaging. In tissue imaging, we present a brightfield study of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) co-expression in breast cancer, and also highly multiplexed imaging of quantum-dot immunofluorescence labels. In vivo, MSI is used to characterize and eliminate the significant autofluorescence that can be present, revealing otherwise undetectable labeled targets, as well as enabling high levels of multiplexing, with as many as four target analytes being imaged simultaneously. Using MSI for both in-vivo and ex-vivo imaging can be especially valuable, since the same analytes can be tracked both macro- and microscopically.
11:10– 11:15 Speakers photo
11:15 – 11:35 Mid-morning break
11:35 – 11:50 Human tissue in drugable target validation: XpressWay™ and XpressArray™
Mr Richard Bystry, Molecular Expression Profiling, Asterand
Knowing which tissues your drug target is expressed in is invaluable. Knowing which cell populations it is in is priceless. Imagine qRTPCR data from 72 tissues, each from 3 donors with full clinical histories and validated pathology reports. Now imagine adding value to that off the shelf qRTPCR data using validated tissue microarrays containing the same 72 tissue types from 3 donors and carrying out fully optimised immunohistochemistry to define the cell populations in which your target protein is localised. XpressWay™ and XpressArray™ allow you to do this with minimum fuss and maximum impact
11:50 – 12:20 Banking Human Tissue for Research: Vision to reality
Dr Chris Womack. Astrazeneca UK
Advances in scientific understanding of disease together with introduction of new high throughput technologies have led to increased demand for human tissue in research. In general, patients are willing to donate for research, particularly samples that are surplus to diagnostic or therapeutic requirements. New tissue-specific regulations in the UK are intended to facilitate the use of human tissue in research. Despite this positive environment there are challenges to researcher access. Coordinated, systematic collection and storage, can provide easier access. However translating a vision for a biobank into reality whether in the public or private sector, has never been simple. But it can be done
12:20 – 12:50 Quality control for In situ hybridization
Dr Howard Pringle, University of Leicester, UK
12:50 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 - 14:15 An automated expression screen for mutants affected in tracheal development
Dr Stefan Mauch, INTAVIS Bioanalytical Instruments, Germany
Many organs transporting liquids or gases, such as lung, kidney and cardio-vascular system, are formed by a branched network of epithelial tubes or endothelial vessels. Key molecular mechanisms of patterning and branching are mediated by growth factors and signalling cascades conserved in humans and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. I will present a screen setup to identify proteins involved in formation of epithelial tubes in D. melanogaster using a system for automated whole mount ISH and IHC. Among others, two proteins, Megatrachea and Wurst, have been identified and characterized. Both share high sequence conservation with their corresponding orthologues in mouse and human.
14:15 – 14:30 Single Gene Copy detection with Silver-ISH
Dr Uwe SCHALLES, Ventana Medical Systems, France
14:30 – 15:00 Immunogold labelling: A review
Dr Jeremy Skepper, Technical D