STRATFix: Enabling stratified medicine with novel fixatives for improved pre-analytical pathology workflows

经过几十年的癌症研究，治疗方法越来越多地改变，变得更加适合个体患者的需求（通常被称为“个性化”或“分层”医学）。目前允许对细胞和组织进行显微镜评估的制备方法不能很好地保存核酸，无法用于个性化医疗所需的最新基因检测。我们的研究旨在改善组织和细胞样本的制备，以及患者血液中的核酸，以便获得全方位的显微镜和基因检测结果，以帮助为个体患者选择正确的治疗方法。我们的业务合作伙伴QIAGEN是提供样本采集、稳定和核酸纯化工具的市场领导者。QIAGEN正在开发新的解决方案，以保存抽吸（FNA）样本和血液中的细胞。通过在英国范围内的合作，我们可以获得尽可能广泛的血液，细胞和组织类型。由于这些发展将发生在多个主要的，意见领先的英国医院，我们有最大的可能性，该项目的成果将被整个英国病理学界采用。

After many decades of cancer research, treatment is increasingly changing to become more tailored to individual patients' needs (often referred to as 'personalised' or 'stratified' medicine). Current preparation methods that allow microscopic assessment of cells and tissue do not preserve nucleic acids well enough for the latest genetic tests that are necessary for personalised medicine. Our study aims to improve the preparation of tissue and cell samples, and nucleic acids from patient's blood, so that the full range of microscopic and genetic test results can be obtained to help select the right treatment for individual patients. Our business partner QIAGEN is market leader in providing tools for sample collection, stabilisation and nucleic acid purification. QIAGEN is developing new solutions to preserve cells in aspirated (FNA) samples and blood. By working in a UK-wide collaboration, we have access to the widest possible range of blood, cell and tissue types. Because these developments will take place in multiple major, opinion-leading UK hospitals, we have the greatest likelihood that the project outcomes will be adopted by the whole UK pathology community.