Pantomics was found by pathologists who come from clinical, academic and/or industrial pathology backgrounds, and have extensive experiences in the use of human/animal tissues and their derivatives in biomarker research and drug target validation. With our experiences, comprehensive tissue bank and excellent laboratory facilities, we can help our customers to design, perform and interpret the results in relation to complex pathological processes and their biological indications. We will follow strict confidential agreements for the contracted projects and the results are proprietary to the customers.

 

Tissue sourcing: We can provide FFPE single tissue blocks or TMA blocks of any format from common experimental animals, such as mouse (all the common strains), rat, rabbit, hamster, guinea pig, dog, monkey. With our dedicated tissue processing center, we can fix, process and make these animal tissues into paraffin blocks according to customers’ needs. With our tissue bank and hospital links, we can also organize a wide range of normal and diseased human FFPE tissues (from a few cases to over 1000 cases) for our customers following appropriate technical, ethic guidelines and consents. For more information please contact us.

 

Antibody IHC screening and characterization: To obtain a good monoclonal antibody it is critical to have right screen method(s). We can help with your antibody selection and characterization by:

 

     1.    Design appropriate tissue panels or TMAs for your antibody initial screening;

     2.    Determine the tissue/cell specificity and cross-reactivity of the selected clones;

     3.    Establish optimal protocols for your final clones for use in IHC;

     4.    Compare the IHC staining of your antibodies with that of existing ones to the same target(s);

     5.    Provide reports or documents for the above characterization.

 

Pathology analysis of tissue samples from customer’s animal models: With H&E, special staining, IHC, IF, ISH and computer software, our pathologists can provide a variety of pathological analyses for our customer on tissue samples from their animal models.

 

     1.    Animal selection for therapeutic antibody experiments;

     2.    General or expected histological alterations after administration of certain compounds or biological substances;

     3.    Inflammatory reactions, such as inflammatory cell counting, necrosis, fibrosis area comparison;

     4.    Oncological features, such as proliferative activity, apoptotic index, angiogenesis activity or any other alterations of tumor implants/xenografts.

 

Tissue cross reactivity (TCR) examination: For all new therapeutic antibodies, it is required by regulatory agencies to assess their safety by examining and identifying their potential cross reactivity (TCR) on a panel of 33 normal tissue types from at least three individuals. Following FDA recommendations, we can provide IHC based-TCR examination on:

 

1. Single tissue sections of 33 normal tissue types on three or more individuals;

2. Low cost TMA of 33 normal tissue types on one individual (MNO341)l;

3. TMA of 33 normal tissue types in duplicates (MNO661);

4. TMA of 33 normal tissue types of three individuals (MNO961 or MNO1021);

5. *Frozen TMA of  33 normal tissue types of one individual (total three sets of TMA from three individuals). “*” – under development.

 

Our IHC TCR examination generally needs to go through the following procedures:

 

1. Antibody preparation: Antibodies are mainly provided by customers. These can be custom-made or commercially purchased monoclonal or polyclonal   antibodies of any species. For humanized antibodies, we can provide biotinylation services.

2. TCR IHC examination phase I – antibody IHC optimization:  If the primary antibodies are from mouse or rabbit, we will provide secondary detection system. For antibodies of other species, appropriate secondary detection systems need to be arranged. Our standard antibody optimization procedures include one universal antigen retrieval buffer/condition and three serial dilutions of primary antibody on our universal TMA containing 12 tissue types in duplicates. For some primary antibodies, it may be necessary to further optimize antigen retrieval methods, antibody concentration or other conditions. We can also perform the optimization following manufacturer’s recommendation. If a primary antibody cannot produce satisfactory results, we will inform our customer. The project can be either terminated or continued by replacing an alternative primary antibody.

3. TCR IHC examination phase II – tissue profiling:  After achieving optimal IHC conditions for a primary antibody, we will test the antibody on single tissue sections, or appropriate TMA of normal tissues (MNO341, MNO661 or MNO1021) depending on customer’s needs.

4. TCR IHC examination phase III – additional tissue profiling: We can extend the tissue profiling of an antibody to more normal tissue types or more individuals if it is required. We can also perform the profiling on diseased tissues according to customer’s requests (see following target validation).

5. Result recording and reporting of TCR examination: The IHC stained slides are read and results are recorded by our pathologists. Depending on customer’s needs, the results are recorded in excel tables either using semi-quantitative methods based on microscope observation or quantitative analysis with an image analysis software. Interpretation of the profiling results will also be included in the report.

 

Pathology model-based target validation: With our comprehensive tissue bank, we can organize tissue samples relevant to a disease process, a pathological feature or a group of pathological conditions into pathology panels or models. IHC or ISH analysis with appropriate antibodies or RNA probes of these panels or models (in either single tissue sections or TMAs) allows easy observation, comparison and correlation of target expression patterns and the disease process under investigation. All these will form an effective approach to verify disease associated targets and eliminate non-relevant targets even at very early stage of drug discovery.

 

1. Inflammatory models: We can provide tissue samples covering a wide spectrum of inflammatory process, from acute reaction to chronic inflammation either related to multiple organs or related to a specific organ, such as COPD lesions, various types of hepatitis.

2. Models for diseases of immunity: We can organize tissue samples for autoimmune disease, such as Graves diseases, psoriasis for our customers.

3. Oncology models: We can organize samples into different panels for validation of targets that may be associated with:

        a). evolution from premalignant to malignant;

        b). progression from low grade to high grade;

        c). differences between normal and tumor;

        d). differences between primary and metastatic tumors;

        e). differences between good treatment response and poor response;

        f). occurrence of apoptosis;

        g). development of angiogenesis.

 

Companion diagnostic tissue based-test development or validation: For many new drugs, it is critical to have appropriate companion diagnostic tests to aid in selecting or excluding patients for the treatment, based on expression patterns of certain biomarkers in the diseased tissues that help predict likely response or severe toxicity. With our tissue bank and technology platforms, we can provide:

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1. Validation of your companion biomarkers in hundreds or thousands of cases of a relevant disease tissue samples;

2. Screening and develop control panels or TMAs for standardization of the companion tests.

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To request a quote, please email us at sales@pantomics.com or fill out our quote form.