Tissue Microarrays

Book excerpt: Today’s tissue microarray (TMA) method presents as a modern high-tech technology, one which allows for the linking of clinical data to the tissues that are combined on one slide. In Tissue Microarrays: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers explore the current world of TMA making and TMA applications, providing insight into the inherent and complex aspects of the most popular assays used for in-situ tissue analysis. Chapters examine the range of TMA techniques that allow for a large number of tissues to be included in one TMA, preserve the integrity of donor tissue blocks, and present a highly organized array pattern that allows for the reliable allocation of clinical data to individual tissue spots. Composed in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, each chapter contains a brief introduction, step-by-step methods, a list of necessary materials, and a Notes section which shares tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Contemporary and ground-breaking, Tissue Microarrays: Methods and Protocols serves as an essential handbook for pathologists, molecular biologists, researchers in the life sciences, as well as physicians, a reflection of the various applications of current TMA technology.