Now dba as Boston Cell Standards (BCS) at same location as their predecessor - Medical Discovery Partners LLC - itself a spinoff from CytoLogix Corporation after that firm's assets were largely sold off the DakoCytomation. Structured primarily around medical diagnostics technologies, Medical Discovery initially focused efforts on improved methods for cancer diagnosis and early cancer detection: two major platform technologies in cancer diagnostics space were brought to use condition. One technology developed - Artisan instrument for special stains and immunohistochemistry - was part of the Dako acquisition. The firm also developed a system of immunohistochemistry test controls for cancer biomarkers in tumor biopsies effectively providing a standardized reference for clinical laboratory testing of tumor markers in biopsy specimens, improving the accuracy of test results from biopsy specimens. Boston Cell Standards (BCS) now organizes explicitly around Immunohistochemistry (IHC), also known as immunostaining - a routine but essential tool in diagnostic and research laboratories. Process involves staining thin sections of tissues attached to individual glass slides. IHC staining makes it possible selectively to identify antigens in the cells of the tissue section through an antigen-antibodies binding process. The outcome allows visualization and documention of the high-resolution distribution and localization of specific cellular components within cells: widely and effectively used for diagnosing diseases such as abnormal cells in tissue samples from cancerous tumors. IHC is also used in biological research: normal tissue and organ development, pathological processes, wound healing, cell death and repair, and understanding distribution and localization of biomarkers, and in pharmaceutical research and development to provide highly accurate and objective evaluations for drug efficacy and safety.
