Mining the archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue proteome: opportunities and challenges.
The significant potential of tissue-based proteomic biomarker studies can be restricted by difficulties in accessing samples in optimal fresh-frozen form. While archival formalin-fixed tissue collections with attached clinical and outcome data represent a valuable alternate resource, the use of formalin as a fixative which induces protein cross-linking, has generally been assumed to render them unsuitable for proteomic studies. However, this view has been challenged recently with the publication of several papers accomplishing variable degrees of heat-induced reversal of cross-links. Although still in its infancy and requiring the quantitative optimisation of several critical parameters, formalin-fixed tissue proteomics holds promise as a powerful tool for biomarker-driven translational research. Here, we critically review the current status of research in the field, highlighting challenges which need to be addressed for robust quantitative application of protocols to ensure confident high impact inferences can be made.
Clinical and Biomedical Proteomics Group, Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre, St James's University Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds, UK.
Niroshini J
NJ
Nirmalan
Patricia
P
Harnden
Peter J
PJ
Selby
Rosamonde E
RE
Banks
D000818:Animals; D005404:Fixatives / Q000737:chemistry*; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D020543:Proteome / Q000032:analysis*; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D016707:Tissue Fixation
D005404:Fixatives; D020543:Proteome; D005557:Formaldehyde