This popular annual event, now in its 6th year, is dedicated to the technique of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation. New to this meeting will be a troubleshooting panel session.  On registration you will be able to submit your questions to the panel that will be asked by the chair on the day of the event

The Agenda includes:

FISH  techniques and applications  - Dr Paul A.W. Edwards, Reader in Cancer Biology,  Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge. FISH techniques will be reviewed with reference both to recent developments and to current well-established applications.  

Using Immunofluorescent-Detection Methods in the Skin - Dr Carrie Ambler, School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham university, UK.In this seminar, I will present two primary techniques using fluorescent-labelled antibodies to detect protein expression in the skin.  The first technique will be performed using traditional tissue sections, and the second on whole sheets of epidermal tissues.  At the conclusion of this talk, we will discuss imaging techniques best suited for fluorescent-detection in skin tissues.

Extracting novel data from IHC staining and high resolution scanning of FISH stained TMA’s (preliminary title)  - Mr Rob Sykes , Applied Imaging International Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. This talk will explain how the Ariol imaging and image analysis platform is evolving to provide novel solutions to analysing and scanning tissues in both brightfield and fluorescent modalities.

Immunohistochemical Investigation of Lynch / HNPCC syndrome  - Dr Mark Arends, University Reader & Hon Consultant University of Cambridge & Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK. Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) or Lynch syndrome accounts for 2-4% of colorectal cancers and is caused by inheritance of a mutated Mismatch Repair gene, usually MSH2 or MLH1, but occasionally others (e.g. MSH6 or PMS2). This leads to microsatellite instability (MSI) in tumour DNA. Extra-colonic tumours may also develop such as those of endometrium, ureter, ovary, stomach, small intestine, and skin (sebaceous tumours). Suspected HNPCC cases are identified by family history and their tumours examined for abnormal MMR protein expression by immunohistochemistry for MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2, with different expression patterns for normal (homogeneously positive) and MMR abnormal (homogeneously or weakly negative) tumours.

Patient Safety in the Pathology Environment  - Mr Chris Rhoades, Dako UK Ltd, Cambridgeshire, UK

Preparation and uses of frozen tissue microarrays. - Helen Shulver,  Asterand UK.

Troubleshooting Panel Discussion

The questions that you submitted during registration will be discussed
 
PathGrid: the application of astronomical image analysis and data access techniques to the study of histopathology data. Dr Nicholas Walton , Institute of Astronomy, The University of Cambridge.We describe our pilot 'PathGrid' study which applies astronomical image processing and data handling techniques to the challenges involved in analysing Tissue Micro Array (TMA) histopathology image data.  Image analysis has been applied to the input TMA data using open sourcesolutions developed for an astronomical context. The resulting data products are in turn interfaced to the clinical trials systems in use at the Cambridge Research Institute, Cancer Research UK.  

How to make a new antibody work for IHC?' And that is what most of us want, isn't it? - Dr Chris van der Loos, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.Every day, newly developed antibodies are becoming commercially available. Because the majority of new antibodies are not primarily designed for IHC application, datasheets are not informative. Often lacking are relevant notes if the antibody is tested for IHC (cryo or paraffin), positive control tissue, optimal antigen retrieval method, and description of the expected IHC tissue staining pattern. A number of generally applicable approaches and tools are presented for exploring the IHC staining potential of newly developed antibodies. Also, a generally applicable double staining method is discussed and suggestions are made how to make a positive/negative control block from cells.

If you would like to book a place, please visit : www.regonline.co.uk/IHC09