BACKSolubilizer-assisted deep immunostaining
[Licensing negotiation in progress]
[Invitation for Expression of Interest- Deadline: 23 September 2023]
We are inviting expressions of interest (EoI) for commercializing “Solubilizer-assisted deep immunostaining” technology. The innovation is developed by Professor Hei Ming LAI, Professor of The Department of Psychiatry of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK Reference: 22/MED/1172).
The Technology
Advances in tissue optical clearing and optical sectioning microscopies have led to the hopes of bringing a more integrated three-dimensional (3D) view of tissues structure and molecular organization. These techniques turn intact tissue blocks optically transparent and can image them in optical sections, which rapidly produce 3D images of tissues that is impossible to achieve with conventional tissue section-based 2D histology in physical sections. However, the 3D nature of tissue blocks imposes significant penetration barrier to fluorescent probes such that deep portions of tissues cannot be visualized due to weak or absent fluorescent signal, which cannot be overcome by simply adding more probes. Therefore, for wider applications of 3D histology, which combines the essential elements of tissue clearing, 3D immunostaining, and optical sectioning microscopy, the bottleneck of 3D immunostaining must be solved. For future clinical tissue diagnostics uses, the 3D immunostaining must be automatable, low cost, easy to operate such that it can be automated, highly scalable with respect to the variable tissue sizes, and reliably produce specific staining signals and suppress non-specific ones. Here, The Invention provides a general solution for all the above criteria, making it the readiest candidate for clinical and wider biomedical research use. The principle behind INSIGHT is the use of a solubilizer for in situ inhibition of antibody-antigen interaction temporarily, allowing antibodies to distribute throughout the tissue homogeneously by increase their diffusivity in water and tissue; the solubilizer is then removed with an in situ chemical reaction system, allowing the distributed antibodies to bind to antigens deep within the tissue, leading to much improved penetration depth and homogeneity of staining. Our proposal of using solubilizer in histology is novel and solves the remaining bottleneck in 3D histology, which can be expected to bring significant improvements in tissue diagnostics and biomedical researches by adding an additional dimension to tissue imaging.
Commercialization
The technology is now available for licensing on an exclusive basis. In order to fully realize the benefit of the technology, we expect substantial investment is necessary to enable further research and development. In addition to the financial commitment, the licensee is expected to have the appropriate expertise as well as plans in marketing and strategizing the end product to ensure successful transfer of the technology to the society. Previous or existing business involvement and experience in this area is a plus.
This invitation of expression of interest is without prejudice. We also stress that this invitation is not a tender, and the University is not bound to accept any offer, or to accept the highest monetary offer, as there are additional considerations (such as the widest possible benefit to the community) that we, as a public institution, will need to take into consideration.
Solubilizer-assisted deep immunostaining
[Licensing negotiation in progress]
[Invitation for Expression of Interest- Deadline: 23 September 2023]
We are inviting expressions of interest (EoI) for commercializing “Solubilizer-assisted deep immunostaining” technology. The innovation is developed by Professor Hei Ming LAI, Professor of The Department of Psychiatry of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK Reference: 22/MED/1172).
The Technology
Advances in tissue optical clearing and optical sectioning microscopies have led to the hopes of bringing a more integrated three-dimensional (3D) view of tissues structure and molecular organization. These techniques turn intact tissue blocks optically transparent and can image them in optical sections, which rapidly produce 3D images of tissues that is impossible to achieve with conventional tissue section-based 2D histology in physical sections. However, the 3D nature of tissue blocks imposes significant penetration barrier to fluorescent probes such that deep portions of tissues cannot be visualized due to weak or absent fluorescent signal, which cannot be overcome by simply adding more probes. Therefore, for wider applications of 3D histology, which combines the essential elements of tissue clearing, 3D immunostaining, and optical sectioning microscopy, the bottleneck of 3D immunostaining must be solved. For future clinical tissue diagnostics uses, the 3D immunostaining must be automatable, low cost, easy to operate such that it can be automated, highly scalable with respect to the variable tissue sizes, and reliably produce specific staining signals and suppress non-specific ones. Here, The Invention provides a general solution for all the above criteria, making it the readiest candidate for clinical and wider biomedical research use. The principle behind INSIGHT is the use of a solubilizer for in situ inhibition of antibody-antigen interaction temporarily, allowing antibodies to distribute throughout the tissue homogeneously by increase their diffusivity in water and tissue; the solubilizer is then removed with an in situ chemical reaction system, allowing the distributed antibodies to bind to antigens deep within the tissue, leading to much improved penetration depth and homogeneity of staining. Our proposal of using solubilizer in histology is novel and solves the remaining bottleneck in 3D histology, which can be expected to bring significant improvements in tissue diagnostics and biomedical researches by adding an additional dimension to tissue imaging.
Commercialization
The technology is now available for licensing on an exclusive basis. In order to fully realize the benefit of the technology, we expect substantial investment is necessary to enable further research and development. In addition to the financial commitment, the licensee is expected to have the appropriate expertise as well as plans in marketing and strategizing the end product to ensure successful transfer of the technology to the society. Previous or existing business involvement and experience in this area is a plus.
This invitation of expression of interest is without prejudice. We also stress that this invitation is not a tender, and the University is not bound to accept any offer, or to accept the highest monetary offer, as there are additional considerations (such as the widest possible benefit to the community) that we, as a public institution, will need to take into consideration.
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Paul Cheung
Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services
Hei Ming LAI
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