Microdissection and the Study of Cancer Pathways

Authors: Maitra A.; Wistuba I.I.; Gazdar A.F.

Source: Current Molecular Medicine, Volume 1, Number 1, March 2001 , pp. 153-162(10)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

The study of genetic alterations in tumors and their precursor lesions is often hampered by the presence of a heterogeneous background of non-neoplastic elements such as stromal cells, inflammatory cells, and angiogenic elements. Microdissection involves the extraction of specific populations of cells under direct visualization. In this article, we will discuss the currently available techniques of microdissection, and briefly review how this material is being utilized in the study of cancer pathways. Microdissected tissue is amenable for the study of cancer genomics, expression analysis and most recently, cancer proteomics. The purity of reagents obtained from microdissected material has resulted in the successful identification of tumor suppressor genes as well as novel transcripts and proteins that are altered in neoplastic cells. Improved techniques of tissue fixation and microdissection, supplemented with ancillary technology such as pre-amplification, have permitted the use of increasingly smaller quantities of material for the study of cancer pathways. Importantly, it is now possible to analyze many of the genetic changes that precede cancer, thereby identifying populations at risk for developing malignancies in the future.

Keywords: Microdissection; Inflammatory cells; Angiogenic elements; Cancer proteomics; Stromal cells; Laser-Based Microdissection; Expression Analysis; Proteomic Analysis; Proteomic Analysis; Gene expression; Subtractive display

Language: English

Document Type: Review article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1566524013364121

Publication date: 2001-03-01

• Current Molecular Medicine is an interdisciplinary journal focused on providing the readership with current and comprehensive reviews on fundamental molecular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis, the development of molecular-diagnosis and/or novel approaches to rational treatment. The reviews should be of significant interest to basic researchers and clinical investigators in molecular medicine. Periodically the journal will invite guest editors to devote an issue on a basic research area that shows promise to advance our understanding of the molecular mechanism(s) of a disease or has potential for clinical applications.

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