Bio-Techne announced the European launch of the CE-IVD marked RNAscope ISH Probe High Risk HPV, intended for use in patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) to aid in the identification of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a major cause of OPSCC, and HPV has emerged as a valuable diagnostic marker that significantly impacts clinical management. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for p16 protein, a surrogate marker, is widely used for HPV detection in OPSCC; however, misdiagnosis rates of 5-20% have been reported when using p16.

The presence of E6/E7 mRNA is considered the gold standard for diagnosing HPV-related OPSCC. RNAscope offers a superior method for detection of E6/E7 mRNA when assessing HPV status in OPSCC patients, enabling clinicians to provide a more accurate diagnosis and improve patient management.