Novel Assays to enhance Spatial Biomarker Discovery and development

Spatial interrogation of biomarkers within the tumour microenvironment provides valuable insight into tumour progression and drug response. Development of reliable multiplex IHC / IF staining assays is however complex, time-consuming, and relies upon antibody suitability. To address this, we aimed to adopt two novel assays; PhenoCodeTM Signature Panels and RNAscope + multiplex IHC, which offer an alternative approach to biomarker discovery and development. PhenoCodeTM Signature Panels greatly reduce panel optimisation times by utilising barcode-based antibody chemistry to apply a single pre-optimised cocktail of six antibodies in one step.RNAscope + multiplex IHC enables the detection of multiple RNA and protein biomarkers on the same tissue section, providing a solution when a suitable antibody cannot be sourced for a particular biomarker. Here we test the robustness of a PhenoCodeTM panel and demonstrate the staining of two RNAscope / protein panels as proof of principle