Unique Technologies  Quality Credentials Department Directory |
Polymerase
Chain Reaction (PCR)  Flow Cytometry Immunohistochemistry Rapid Culture for Tuberculosis |
Unique Technologies
A key element of SRL Ranbaxy's mission statement is to provide "incisive" diagnostic services, this has involved establishing several new technologies, and making these commercially available for the first time in India:
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
PCR is used at SRL Ranbaxy for the purpose of
ultrasensitive detection and accurate quantitation of viruses like HIV,
Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, etc. Using this advanced DNA/RNA based
technology, detection of these viruses is possible at very low (depending
on the method used) threshold levels - which was unimaginable and
impossible using routine enzyme immunoassay based screening methods. PCR is also being
successfully used for a number of other tests
including detection of bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
determination of coagulation disorders such as Factor V Leiden
mutations, HLA typing, detection of tumour markers, etc.
These are being performed using a number of applications of the
PCR methodologies such as multiplex PCR,
nested PCR, RFLP, RT-PCR, etc.
Real Time PCR
One of the latest adaptations of PCR is the Real Time PCR. Real Time analysis offers several advantages over the conventional technologies, such as greater specificity, reproducibility and sensitivity. SRL Ranbaxy therefore also offers a number of PCR tests using real time analysis.
FISH
During recent years, the technique, Fluorescent
in situ Hybridisation (FISH) has begun to show considerable diagnostic
potential. It has proved to be more sensitive compared to conventional
cytogenetics. SRL now makes available FISH technique for diagnosis of
various cancer markers including Her -2/neu, BCR-ABL, EGFR, ETO AML1 and
Del 13q. 
Another first from
SRL Ranbaxy, the application of flow cytometry is
currently focused on 3 areas:
- Immunophenotyping of leukemias / lymphomas: using an array of over 25 monoclonal antibodies coupled with a state-of-the-art flow cytometer for qualitative analysis of cells based on the size, granularity and cell-surface markers. This powerful tool in combination with the clinical / morphological findings is used to accurately classify leukemia and lymphomas - increasingly important, since the prognosis and therapy response is likely to vary significantly based on the classification / immunophenotyping status.
- Lymphocyte
enumeration, commonly referred to as CD4 / CD8
count estimation, is now recognized as a
reliable, cost-effective means of monitoring an
HIV positive patients progress, and is used in
all developed countries to evaluate the risk of
individual opportunistic infectious striking.
Today, thanks to stringent quality control from the point of specimen collection to packaging to actual processing, SRL Ranbaxy has been able to consistently deliver reliable results to every major HIV diagnosis, treatment and counseling centre in the country.
- DNA Ploidy studies - are used to quantitatively establish the rate of prognosis of solid tumors especially in cases of breast and bladder cancer. The ploidy status of a breast tumor in conjunction with the S-phase fraction provide a complete analysis when used with immunohistochemical markers such as estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor studies.
Modern tools like flow
cytometry, in combination with 
SRL Ranbaxy's expert and vastly experienced histopathology
staff, have established us as a formidable reference
centre for tumor pathology. Across the country
oncologists, surgeons and pathologists send paraffin
blocks, tissue in formalin and slides for review, and
have come to rely on SRL Ranbaxy's graphic easy-to
interpret immunohistochemistry report formats.
Rapid Culture for Tuberculosis
After several months of extensive
validations, SRL Ranbaxy has established the "Bactec"
based radiometric assay for tuberculosis culture, which
offers dual benefits of enhanced sensitivity, and a
reduction of as much as 80% in the time taken for the
organism to grow, over conventional culture methods.
Another key benefit of this unique technology is its ability to provide "drug suceptibility" results in as little as 7-10 days after the organism has been grown. This is particularly relevant in view of the growing incidence of "atypical", and "multi-drug resistant" (MDR) tuberculosis.