title: Laser microdissection in CNS research.
abstract: The complexity of the brain makes the investigation of anatomically defined regions using manual dissection techniques problematic. With these manual dissection techniques, only a mixture of many different cell types can be obtained. This leads to averaging the contents of all the different cell types, making it nearly impossible to observe effects that are specific to one type of cell. Laser microdissection enables individual cell-types to be dissected accurately from the brain for subsequent analysis of the genome, proteome or, most frequently, the transcriptome. Investigating only functionally relevant cells with high specificity provides unambiguous data, resulting in faster identification of potential targets, the elucidation of drug mode-of-action, as well as aiding identification of biomarkers for diagnostics use.
authors.affiliation: Axaron Bioscience AG, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Newrzella
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sorgenfrei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D002490:Central Nervous System; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D042282:Microdissection; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger