Laser-capture microdissection.
Deciphering the cellular and molecular interactions that drive disease within the tissue microenvironment holds promise for discovering drug targets of the future. In order to recapitulate the in vivo interactions thorough molecular analysis, one must be able to analyze specific cell populations within the context of their heterogeneous tissue microecology. Laser-capture microdissection (LCM) is a method to procure subpopulations of tissue cells under direct microscopic visualization. LCM technology can harvest the cells of interest directly or can isolate specific cells by cutting away unwanted cells to give histologically pure enriched cell populations. A variety of downstream applications exist: DNA genotyping and loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) analysis, RNA transcript profiling, cDNA library generation, proteomics discovery and signal-pathway profiling. Herein we provide a thorough description of LCM techniques, with an emphasis on tips and troubleshooting advice derived from LCM users. The total time required to carry out this protocol is typically 1-1.5 h.
Espina
Virginia
V
Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, 10900 University Blvd. MS 4E3, Manassas, Virginia, USA.
Wulfkuhle
Julia D
JD
Calvert
Valerie S
VS
VanMeter
Amy
A
Zhou
Weidong
W
Coukos
George
G
Geho
David H
DH
Petricoin
Emanuel F
EF
Liotta
Lance A
LA
D002469:Cell Separation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004247:DNA; D007259:Infrared Rays; D007834:Lasers; D042282:Microdissection / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D011506:Proteins; D012313:RNA; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D011506:Proteins; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA