Expanding research tools to detect small non-coding RNAs in situ by combining molecular information with spatial context.
MINNEAPOLIS, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ:TECH) today announced the expansion of the RNAscope™ platform with the release of the miRNAscope™ Assay. The RNAscope technology is an advanced in situ hybridization assay for the spatial visualization of single-molecule RNA with single-cell resolution directly in intact tissues.
The miRNAscope Assay extends the RNAscope technology to enable the in situ detection of short nucleic acid targets between 17-50 nucleotides which includes an important class of small non-coding RNAs called microRNAs as well as short synthetic oligonucleotide therapeutics such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). The assay addresses a critical need to reliably detect these ultra-short molecules in native tissue with minimal time and effort, delivering data in an easy to interpret format. Traditional assays such as microarrays, PCRs, and sequencing methods provide useful molecular profiles, but their use with dissociated cells result in the loss of clinically relevant tissue morphological information. The miRNAscope assay utilizes Bio-Techne’s patented signal amplification and background suppression technology to deliver researchers with comparatively elevated specificity and sensitivity as well as high signal-to-noise detection. Utilization of this assay enables researchers to perform experiments for various applications such as identifying specific cellular subtypes, visualizing gene regulation, and evaluating therapeutic ASO or siRNA delivery, biodistribution, cellular uptake, and persistence over time, all without compromising the morphological features of the tissue in question.
After obtaining the first data from this technology through the Early Technology Access program, a leading BioPharma Company commented, “We had a great experience using miRNAscope in our compound screening efforts. The technique is incredibly specific, and the results are very easy to understand. Also, working with Bio-Techne’s ACD team has been extremely beneficial. They communicated with us during the process to ensure we can get the answers to our questions. They generated impeccable tissue staining!”
Kim Kelderman, President of Bio-Techne’s Diagnostics and Genomics Segment, commented, “We are excited to expand our in situ RNA tissue analysis leadership position with the release of the miRNAscope™ Assay. MicroRNAs are an important class of regulatory non-coding RNAs that are gaining more interest from companies in the diagnostic and therapeutic space. In addition, there is an increasing investment level to develop short oligonucleotide-based drugs. Our aim is to provide researchers with a platform to easily and reliably detect these small RNAs and oligonucleotides with single-cell and subcellular resolution in a complex and heterogeneous tissue environment.”