Dako Denmark A/s

Dako A/s

Karl-Johan Pluzek

Kim Adelhorst

Jacobus Johannus Maria Van Dongen

Jens J Hyldig-Nielsen

Kirsten Vang Nielsen

Kristen Vang Nielsen

Tom Just

A novel method for detecting chromosome aberrations is disclosed. More specifically, chromosome aberrations are detected by in situ hybridisation using at least two sets of hybridisation probes, at least one set comprising one or more peptide nucleic acid probes capable of hybridising to specific nucleic acid sequences related to a potential aberration in a chromosome, and at least one set comprising two or more peptide nucleic acid probes capable of hybridising to specific nucleic acid sequences related to another potential aberration in a chromosome. In particular, the method may be used for detecting chromosome aberrations in the form of breakpoints.

Method and probes for the detection of chromosome aberrations

Methodologies for determining the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences in a sample of eucaryotic origin using in situ hybridization are described. The in situ hybridization is performed using a hybridization solution comprising at least one binding partner capable of hybridizing to the specific nucleic acid sequence to be determined so as to form hybrids and a hybrid destabilizing agent in an amount effective to decrease the melting temperature of hybrids formed between the nucleic acid and the binding partner so as to increase the specific binding and decrease the non-specific binding. The binding partner used is a polymeric strand of polymerized moieties having a non-cyclic backbone, the polymeric strand being capable of hybridizing to the nucleic acid sequence to be determined. The method is particularly suitable for diagnosing different human diseases such as bacterial and viral infections, genetic diseases and neoplastic disorders.

In situ hybridization to detect specific nucleic acid sequences in

This invention relates to antibodies to complexes formed between PNA (Peptide Nucleic Acid) and nucleic acids, particularly antibodies to PNA/DNA or PNA/RNA complexes. The preferred antibodies are polyclonal, monoclonal and recombinant antibodies that binds to PNA/DNA or PNA/RNA complexes, but not to single-stranded PNA, double-stranded nucleic acid or single-stranded nucleic acid. Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNA) are newly developed, not naturally occurring compounds comprising a polyamide backbone bearing a plurality of ligands such as naturally occuring nucleobases attached to a polyamide backbone through a suitable linker. PNA oligomers with a backbone of N-(2-aminoethyl)glycin units have a surprising high affinity for complementary nucleic acid forming very stable and specific complexes. This property makes PNA oligomers suitable as hybridization probes for detection of nucleic acids. The usability of PNA as hybridization probes is greatly increased by the present antibodies. The antibodies according to the invention are useful in the capture, recognition, detection, identification or quantitation of nucleic acids in biological samples, via their ability to react with PNA-nucleic acid complexes.

Antibody to PNA/nucleic acid complexes

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Smorum, Denmark

Karl-Johan Pluzek