Agilent Expands Portfolio of In Situ Hybridization Probes for Clinical Testing

Agilent Expands Portfolio of In Situ Hybridization Probes for Clinical Testing

Fully automated CISH and IQFISH panel for lymphoma combines multiple innovations

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 26, 2018

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced an expansion of its portfolio of in situ hybridization probes with the release of its EBER RNA CISH, Kappa, and Lambda mRNA CISH probes for Dako Omnis. A manual IQFISH panel for lymphoma was also announced which will carry CE-marking for in vitro diagnostics in Europe.

The EBER RNA CISH, Kappa, and Lambda mRNA CISH product release further increase the diagnostic capabilities of the Dako Omnis instrumentation, which can now be used to simultaneously run tests involving chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Coupled with fully optimized and validated protocols, the Dako Omnis enables fast turnaround times of patient cases and supports labs in delivering consistent quality and optimal results.

“Running CISH simultaneously with IHC on the Dako Omnis is a perfect solution for our lab and saves a great deal of hands-on time,” said Dorthe Strue-Nielsen, medical laboratory technologist at Sjælland University Hospital, Pathology Division-Næstved, in Denmark.

The IQFISH panel for lymphoma is a set of oligonucleotide-based FISH probes designed to detect rearrangements involving the MYC, BCL2, BCL6, MALT1, CCND1, and IGH genes. These probes are for use on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections and are available in break-apart and dual-fusion methodologies.

The probes are produced using synthetic oligonucleotides rather than the more common bacterial artificial chromosomes. This innovative technology eliminates repetitive sequences from the probes, which can decrease signal background.

“CISH probes are manufactured with Agilent’s unique process. Simultaneously running them as part of the FISH and IHC workflow on Dako Omnis increases lab productivity, which can enable faster diagnosis for the patient” said Jeff Heimburger, head of marketing at Agilent’s Genomics Division.

Agilent was the first commercial vendor to bring fast hybridization technology to pathology labs. Agilent’s IQFISH Buffer improves hybridization kinetics, so tests that would normally take two days can now be completed in less than 5 hours. For most laboratories, this innovation means that FISH testing can be done each time a pathologist makes a request, getting the results to the patient sooner.