Annual Meetings

The 2019 annual meeting of the Biological Stain Commission was on Friday and Saturday 14th and 15th June 2019, at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), near the Hilton Garden Inn, 30 Celebration Drive, Rochester, New York, 14620, USA. 

The theme was “The Role of Staining in the Era of “Precision Medicine”.

Evolution beyond the current qualitative and semi-quantitative staining methods used in tissue evaluation is a discussion that cannot be ignored in the evolving era of precision medicine. Immunohistochemistry and protein profiling of cancer as adjuncts to multi-gene assays will in all likelihood be an important component of antibody panel use in the future. Digital whole slide image analysis has made great strides with respect to the consistent and accurate reading of results, and is likely to provide the intelligent microscope of the future. Molecular imaging and 3D imaging techniques used for non-destructive whole-volume imaging of tissues is an emerging technology with the potential to change how patients are diagnosed and treated in the future.

Will these technologies eventually replace the current staining methods used in tissue evaluation, or will the current staining methods continue to be a useful companion diagnostic tool in the era of precision medicine?

Program

Speakers at the Biological Stain Commission’s meeting, 14th June 2019

 Rosemary Bassey, PhD

Dr. Bassey currently teaches at the Meharry Medical College.  She specializes in reproductive toxicology and neuropsychopharmacology.  She has many citations in the areas of her field.  Her publications include the use of many different staining techniques using common household items and natural extracts.

 Anton Bennett, PhD  

Dr Bennett is the Dorys McConnell Duberg Professor of Pharmacology anfd Professor of Comparative Medicine at Yale School of Medicine. He co-directs the Integrative Cell Signaling and Neurobiology of Metabolism Program. His research is focused on understanding how protein tyrosine phosphatases function in the control of normal cellular physiology, with a goal of establishing whether these enzymes participate in such disease processes as cancer, diabetes and neuromuscular disorders.

Ed Brown, PhD

Dr. Brown is a Principal Investigator at the University of Rochester Medical Center.  He holds appointments as a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Neuroscience.  His research facility is dedicated to designing medical devices and technologies to save lives.  His unique methods of imaging have been used in the areas of embryo development, cancer treatment and cancer survival monitoring.  Dr. Brown has authorship in several text books and a long list of publications. 

Richard W. Dapson, PhD (BSC President)

Dr. Dapson has served the Biological Stain Commission as a trustee for almost 15 years and has served several terms as the BSC President and Vice-President.  He has many years of industrial experience and has designed and manufactured several proprietary dyes and stains for histological uses.  Dr. Dapson is well known for his knowledge of dyes and their uses in the histotechnology world.  He is one of the “Dye Guys” known for volunteering his expertise for any having technical difficulties.

Chad Fagan, MS (Head of BSC Assay Laboratory operations)

Mr. Fagan has been with the Biological Stain Commission since 2007.  His efforts have focused on improving laboratory quality within the BSC Assay Laboratory.  Beyond this change, the market as a whole has been challenged when the BSC Quality endorsement changes hands.  Chad has designed process improvements to follow the traceability of products Certified by the BSC.  He has used the BSC to collaborate closely with the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center to continually provide beneficial resources for all.  The BSC Assay Laboratory also is an open communication line for users of dyes and stains that have technical questions or are in need of additional expertise.

Michael Giacomelli, PhD

Dr. Giacomelli is a Principal Investigator and professor in the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Rochester Medical Center.  He has a multidisciplinary background in Biomedical and Computer Engineering.  The Giacomelli laboratory investigates multiphoton imaging of surgical pathology, 3D imaging, image processing and microscopy with ultraviolet surface excitation (MUSE). The Giacomelli Lab designs custom multiphoton and fluorescence microscopes, algorithms, and electronics that enable surgical and clinical imaging of pathology in living human tissue with an emphasis on building instruments that can be directly used by clinicians and non-engineers.

William Grizzle, MD

Dr. Grizzle has been a Professor of Pathology since 1981 and a Professor of Surgery since 2017 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is the head of the Pathology Program for Translational Research in Neoplasia, the Director of the Tissue Collection and Banking Facility, as well as scientific appointments with the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for Aging, Metabolic Bone Disease Research Center and Cystic Fibrosis Center. He is a former Senior Editor of Clinical Cancer Research and is currently on its editorial board. He is also Associate Editor of Cancer Biomarkers. He is a pioneer in many areas of his research interests.  His laboratory research has focused on understanding and identifying biomarkers in epithelial lesions from many different organs to understanding the molecular epidemiology of epithelial neoplasia; other interests include exosomes, post-transcriptional regulation (translation and non-translatable RNAs), and molecular imaging.

Maged Henary, PhD

Dr. Henary is currently a professor at Georgia State University.  His research is focused on organic synthesis of small molecules for biomedical, therapeutic uses and imaging.  Dr. Henary’s group has developed different near infrared fluorophores for imaging different types of tissues, targeting different attributes from normal to cancerous.  This collaborative effort is aimed at using NIR fluorophores for intraoperative use of removing diseased tissue, while preserving healthy tissue. To date, the synthesis of various gland and organ specific molecules have been developed for use.

Lacey McNally, PhD

Dr. McNally is currently a professor in the department of Cancer Biology at Wake Forest School of Medicine with several other joint appointments from other universities.  While Dr. McNally has a long list of activities and accomplishments, her main area of research is on the forefront of cancer research.  Dr. McNally has long been at the puzzle of Cancer and treatments for them.  Her approach uses nanoparticles to identify and target specific types of markers and cells.  Through her research, these nanoparticles have been developed to be customizable as a targeting molecule with therapeutic properties enclosed.  One of her latest breakthroughs has been in the use of nanoparticles for optoacoustic tomography imaging of pancreatic cancer cells for intraoperative procedures.  Her innovative development of therapeutic cancer treatments has also investigated the use of autophagy pathways to selectively trigger cancer cells to self-destruct.

V. Prasad Shastri, PhD

Dr. Shastri is the Hermann Staudinger Chair, Professor of Biofunctional Macromolecular Chemistry, and BIOSS Professor of Cell Signaling Environments at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freeiburg in Breisgau, Germany. He is the Director of the Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry. His research efforts focus on developing new paradigms and technology platforms, that leverage fundamental discoveries and innovation in materials science and engineering, to impact life technologies. Translation from lab to the clinic is a cornerstone of his research philosophy. The Shastri lab is a highly inter-disciplinary and international group comprising of materials scientists, polymer chemists, biomedical engineers, and molecular biologists, spanning various nations of Europe, Asia and North America.  The  objectives of the Shastri Lab are to make a difference through innovation in life sciences by asking fundamental questions and constructing hypotheses that go against the conventional wisdom. The Shastri lab continues to evolve new paradigms in stem cell niche engineering, tumor biology, central nervous system physiology, regenerative medicine, targeted therapeutics and functional imaging. The Shastri lab is committed to the training of the next generation of scientists in biomaterials, nanoscience, cancer biology and regenerative medicine.

Brad Turner, MD, MPH, MHA

Dr. Turner is a professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center.  He serves as a faculty member on the breast and gynecologic pathology subspecialty services. He provides anatomic pathology services at both Highland Hospital and Strong Memorial Hospital, while also providing clinical pathology services at Highland Hospital. His research is dedicated to cancer biology and cancer outcomes, including pathologic and non-pathologic correlates of breast cancer outcomes, the role of the tumor microenvironment in breast cancer outcomes, and the role of health care disparities in breast cancer outcomes. Dr. Turner has authored and co-authored several publications that use modified Magee equations and histologic criteria to predict the Oncotype DX® recurrence scores, as well as other methods to advance the area of ‘Precision’ Cancer Therapy.

Titles of poster presentations (updated 2nd May 2019)

1. The average Modified Magee Score can be helpful in predicting an Oncotype DX recurrence score < 26.
2. Synthesis of Near-infrared Cyanines as Imaging Agents for Improved Surgical Resections.
3. Incidence and Significance of GATA3 Positivity in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma and Cholangiocarcinoma.
4. Nonlinear imaging of fresh human surgical margins.
5. The Role of NF-kB Signaling in Malignant Hematopoietic Stem Cells.
6. pH-Responsive Tumor-Targeted Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle as a Vehicle for Exogenous Contrast Agents for Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography.
7. Light microscopy, western blotting, and fluorescent staining show fibrotic changes in cigarette smoke-exposed retinal pigment epithelial cells.
8. Do Multiple Levels of Gomori Methenamine Silver (GMS) Stains Improve Diagnostic Yield in Esophageal Biopsies?: A Quality Improvement Pilot Study.
9. Evaluating the ability of multiphoton laser-scanning microscopy to predict triple negative breast carcinoma (TNBC) response to neo-adjuvant therapy.
10. Breast Cancers with ‘Co-amplified/Polysomy’ of HER2 FISH Result: Clinicopathological Features and Follow-Up Outcomes.
11. Monosomy of Chromosome 17 in Breast Cancer: Experience at a Single Academic Institution.
12. ASCO/CAP human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) in situ hybridization (ISH) categories evaluated by quantitative HER2 protein diagnostic methodologies: A comparative analysis.
13. Nonlesional Atopic Dermatitis Skin Shows Alterations in Langerhans Cells in Close Proximity to Tight Junction Fragmentation.
14. Cb, or Not Cb? Are Intraepithelial Parasitophorous Inclusions Seen In Gallbladders Cystoisospora Belli (Cb) Or An Artifact Of Delayed Fixation.
15. Impact of the 2018 ASCO/CAP HER2 focused update on Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 (HER2) testing in breast cancer: A retrospective review of a single institutional cohort.
16. Assessing lymphatic vessel clearance of macromolecules and catabolic factors from synovial tissues of normal and arthritic joints in mice.
17. Using multiphoton laser scanning microscopy to assess neoadjuvant therapy outcome in core needle biopsies: a novel methodology.
18. Validation of HPV E6 E7 mRNA Detection via RNAscope ISH on FNA Cell Block Material with p16 Correlation .
19. Reconsidering “at risk” criteria for breast cancer recurrence in hormone positive patients: Risk stratification is still important in patients with an Oncotype Dx recurrence score less than 26.