Lunaphore and Vitro Sign Collaboration Agreement to Develop ISH Protocols for RNA/DNA Targets

Lunaphore Technologies SA, a next generation tissue diagnostics company, and Vitro SA, a manufacturer in the field of Pathology and Biomedical Research, announce today a collaboration agreement to develop In Situ Hybridization (ISH) protocols for RNA and DNA targets in tissue using reagents provided by Vitro on Lunaphore’s rapid autostaining platform*.

ISH hybridization techniques not only require the implementation of protocols with long overnight incubation times, but also the protocol automation is challenging. The partnership is aiming to further facilitate the development of ISH applications for Lunaphore’s platform* with shorter turnaround times using one of the latest automation technologies.

Lunaphore’s CEO, Ata Tuna Ciftlik, said: "Vitro and Lunaphore have a very good strategical fit to address ISH applications, which are a large portion of the tissue diagnostics market. Our partner Vitro can provide access to key know-how as well as quality ISH reagents, while Lunaphore has a unique automation technology", and added: "While Lunaphore has so far focused on immunohistology, ISH applications have always remained strategically important. This collaboration indeed proves the potential of our technology to address this highly attractive market segment".

Vitro’s CEO, Javier Fernández, commented: "We have been in the ISH and IHC market for over 10 years and we have never seen such an advanced platform as Lunaphore’s. Its technique breaks away from all pre-existing methods and requires new conditions and protocols. We aim to facilitate the ISH tissue staining for routine lab tests by reducing the turnaround time as well as the errors associated with numerous and delicate steps, and thus providing consistent and reproducible results."

About Lunaphore 
Lunaphore Technologies S.A. is a Swiss company developing next generation tissue autostainers. The award-winning technology at the core of the system is based on microfluidics. It aims to perform assays much faster than standard techniques and has demonstrated good results in tests with cancer patient samples. Lunaphore was founded in 2014 with the vision of bringing –omics like approaches to tissue diagnostics and has been recognized as one of the most innovative companies nationally and internationally.

About Vitro
Vitro, S.A. founded in Seville, Spain, in 1989 manufactures and markets kits, instrumentation and software for the IVD field. Vitro is specialized in Cellular analysis with kits for Immunohistochemistry and FISH (Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization).  With state of the art facilities in the Health Campus in Granada, Vitro manufactures under ISO 13485 and serves both the Spanish and international markets under the brand name of Master Diagnostica.

About ISH
In Situ Hybridization (ISH) is a technique which allows the detection of specific sequences of DNA or RNA in tissue and cell samples without losing morphological details. The ISH technique is based on hybridization between a DNA or RNA sequence specifically labelled (probe) and a sequence of DNA or RNA present in the sample. The ISH technique is highly sensitive and specific: the hybrid product, resulting from hybridization between the target sequence and the complementary probe can be detected indirectly by a chromogenic immunohistochemical staining (CISH) or directly by employing fluorescently labelled probe (FISH).

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