Technology for evaluating the local environment of plasma cells wins ‘People’s Choice’ award at the Pathology Visions 2011 conference
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Nov 21, 2011 — A novel approach to hematopoietic cell profiling in multiple myloma bone marrow samples won an award at the leading digital pathology conference, Pathology Visions, held in San Diego. The study, led by Dr. Mohamed Salama, a researcher and clinician at the University of Utah, utilized dual stained IHC slides to identify both plasma cells, and their proximity to vasculature. All samples were profiled for gene expression, and samples with plasma cells under higher oxygenation could be differentiated from those under much lower levels of oxygenation. Gene expression profiling identified a number of novel genes expressed differentially between these two plasma cell types.
Further expanded work will be presented at the American Society of Hematology 2011 meeting in San Diego. The patent pending approach of identifying and evaluating a cell type in the context the surrounding environment, has wider applications in cancer stem cell research. The technology expands the ability of Flagship to support quantitative pathology evaluation in preclinical and clinical trials in hematologic malignancies.
