New Data Published in Gastroenterology Demonstrate the Power of Fluidigm’s Imaging Mass Cytometry on the Hyperion Imaging System to Identify Novel Targets for Pancreatic Cancer Therapy

Study Highlighting IMC Application in Both Protein and RNA Detection Conducted by Researchers at Fluidigm Center of Excellence for Imaging Mass Cytometry at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fluidigm Corporation (NASDAQ:FLDM), an innovative biotechnology tools provider with a vision to improve life through comprehensive health insight, today announced the publication of a new study led by Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center that further validates the potential for Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC) on the Hyperion Imaging System to provide new insights into the interactions between pancreatic tumor cells and the immune system and to identify novel targets for therapeutic intervention.

The study also highlights the application of IMC in both protein and RNA detection, a capability that is extremely valuable for investigators studying the biological processes in single cells and precious tissue samples. The study data have been published in the journal Gastroenterology.

A Fluidigm Center of Excellence for Imaging Mass Cytometry (CoE) was established at Georgetown Lombardi in early 2020. The Fluidigm CoE program accelerates adoption of mass cytometry through the development of new highly multiplexed panels for the study of cancer, immuno-oncology and immune-mediated diseases.  

Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. The team led by Georgetown Lombardi partnered with Fluidigm Therapeutic Insights Services (TIS) to conduct the study, which combined IMC with RNAscope Technology.

Researchers at Georgetown Lombardi, Georgetown University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Merced, University of California, Davis, STCube Pharmaceuticals and Fluidigm used 12 distinct IMC probes to conduct RNAscope analysis on normal and diseased pancreatic cells and to evaluate interactions between these cells and cells of the immune system. RNAscope is a novel in situ hybridization assay for detection of target RNA within intact cells, and this publication is the first to report its use in a multiplexed fashion with 12 different probes, enabling simultaneous evaluation of multiple targets of interest and generating richer datasets.