Method For Preserving Epitope Locations In Tissue During Degradation Steps

Patent Status

Patent Pending

Brief Description

The reliable spatial mapping of epitopes (antigenic sites) in tissue sections is a cornerstone of pathology, diagnostics, and biomedical research. However, conventional tissue processing and the harsh epitope denaturing agents necessary for downstream molecular analysis often destroy or displace the very epitopes being studied, leading to unreliable results and artifacts. UC Berkeley researchers have innovated a Method for Preserving Epitope Locations in Tissue During Degradation Steps that addresses this critical problem. This method employs a key stabilization step before the application of the denaturing agent. This essentially locks the epitope's location into the stable tyramide-tag, which can then be detected by a tertiary probe after the degradation steps have occurred. This innovation ensures high-fidelity spatial resolution and greater preservation of location information compared to alternatives that rely solely on reversible or less stable preservation techniques.

Suggested uses

• Clinical pathology for highly accurate diagnostic and prognostic testing using tissue biopsies.

• Basic life science research requiring precise spatial mapping and quantification of protein and post-translational modification locations in complex tissue architecture.

• Developing standardized protocols for molecular analysis in multi-site clinical trials and large-scale biomarker discovery programs.

• Applications in spatial-omics and advanced microscopy where retaining the original molecular location is paramount.

Advantages

• Preserves the original location of the epitope by creating a stable, covalently bound surrogate before harsh degradation/denaturing steps.

• Greatly improves the fidelity and reproducibility of biomarker detection and spatial analysis in tissue sections.

• Compatible with existing laboratory techniques, utilizing catalyzed reporter deposition (CARD) for robust signal amplification and tagging.

• Provides a high-resolution spatial map of the epitope location, surpassing the limitations of traditional methods susceptible to molecular diffusion.

Related Materials