New clinical publication highlights diagnostic potential of Multiplex Cryoimmunostaining™ in Effusion and FNAB Cytology
Ljubljana, March 2026 – A newly published peer-reviewed paper from the Department of Cytopathology at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana (IOL), Slovenia, reports promising preliminary results on the use of multiplex Cryoimmunostaining™ in fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs) and effusion samples.
Published in Acta Cytologica, the study was authored by Dr. Simona Miceska, Prof. Dr. Ivana Kholová and Prof. Dr. Veronika Kloboves Prevodnik, and evaluates the performance potential of multiplex Cryoimmunostaining™ in a routine cytopathology setting using routinely prepared cytospins using existing seven-antibody panel.
Minimally invasive cytology specimens such as FNABs and effusions are central to modern diagnostic workflows, but conventional immunocytochemistry is often constrained by limited cellularity, restricted marker capacity and the need for sequential single-antigen staining.
Multiplex Cryoimmunostaining™ addresses these limitations by enabling the simultaneous assessment of multiple markers on a single slide, while preserving morphological interpretability and supporting standardised staining conditions.
“[Cryoimmunostaining] enables simultaneous evaluation of multiple markers per slide on routinely prepared cytospins, offering potential diagnostic advantages for paucicellular samples,” the authors showed.
In their preliminary evaluation, the Ljubljana team reports encouraging multiplex staining on diagnostic samples across both FNAB and effusion specimens while using ICC staining as reference control, highlighting the potential of multiplex Cryoimmunostaining™ as a practical new method for routine laboratory use, especially for smaller laboratories with limited personnel.
Importantly, the study also confirms compatibility with routine cytospin preparations, underscoring the technology’s ability to integrate into established laboratory workflows without requiring major upstream changes.
The publication represents another important milestone in the growing body of independent clinical evidence emerging from early adopter sites and reflects the increasing international momentum behind next-generation multiplex immunostaining approaches in minimally invasive cytology.
Read the full publication here: Multiplex Cryoimmunostaining in Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsies and Effusion Samples: Preliminary Results https://karger.com/acy/article/doi/10.1159/000550736/944485/
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About X-ZELL
X-ZELL is an award-winning medical technology company pioneering the field of next-generation cytology. The company’s mission is to transform cancer diagnostics by fusing novel laboratory technology with digital imaging to detect and visualise individual atypical cells in minimally invasive body liquids and digitize them for instant on-screen analysis. Founded by Y Combinator finalist, Dr Sebastian C.P. Bhakdi, X-ZELL was ranked second-most innovative healthcare start-up in the world in 2020 and has since won the coveted MedTech Innovator APAC competition as well as the Abstract Award at the 2021 European Conference of Cytology.
