RNAscope for VEGF-A Detection in Human Tumor Bioptic Specimens

• Published in: Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) Vol. 2475; p. 143
• Main Authors: Annese, Tiziana, Tamma, Roberto, Ribatti, Domenico
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 2022
• Subjects: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; Angiogenesis; RNAscope assay; Whole-slide digital imaging; Cancer diagnosis; Cancer therapy
• ISSN: 1940-6029
• DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2217-9_10

Different pro-angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), have been related to microvascular density, clinicopathologic factors, and poor prognosis in many tumors. VEGF-A binds its receptor 2 (VEGFR2) to induce neo-angiogenesis, a constant hallmark of tumor initiation and progression. Based on VEGF-A/VEGFR2 relevance in tumor angiogenesis, several inhibitors were developed. However, the clinical benefits of anti-angiogenic therapies are limited because tumors activate different mechanisms of drug resistance.The need for understanding tumor biology, limitation or failure of anti-angiogenic therapies, and the demand for a personalized therapeutic approach has boosted the search for robust biomarkers for patient stratification as responder or non-responder to anti-VEGF therapies.This chapter presents a detailed protocol to perform chromogenic VEGF-A mRNA detection and quantification in human tumor bioptic specimens using RNAscope technology and RNA-in situ hybridization (ISH) algorithm. RNAscope for VEGF-A detection, even for small amounts, is compatible with precious clinical samples and diagnostic laboratory workflows.