title: A new technology for stabilization of biomolecules in tissues for combined histological and molecular analyses.
abstract: For accurate diagnosis, prediction of outcome, and selection of appropriate therapies, the molecular characterization of human diseases requires analysis of a broad spectrum of altered biomolecules, in addition to morphological features, in affected tissues such as tumors. In a high-throughput screening approach, we have developed the PAXgene Tissue System as a novel tissue stabilization technology. Comprehensive characterization of this technology in stabilized and paraffin-embedded human tissues and comparison with snap-frozen tissues revealed excellent preservation of morphology and antigenicity, as well as outstanding integrity of nucleic acids (genomic DNA, miRNA, and mRNA) and phosphoproteins. Importantly, PAXgene-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues provided RNA quantity and quality not only significantly better than that obtained with neutral buffered formalin, but also similar to that from snap-frozen tissue, which currently represents the gold standard for molecular analyses. The PAXgene tissue stabilization system thus opens new opportunities in a variety of molecular diagnostic and research applications in which the collection of snap-frozen tissue is not feasible for medical, logistic, or ethical reasons. Furthermore, this technology allows performing histopathological analyses together with molecular studies in a single sample, which markedly facilitates direct correlation of morphological disease phenotypes with alterations of nucleic acids and other biomolecules.
authors: Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Viertler
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Groelz
authors: Sibylle
authors: S
authors: Gündisch
authors: Karl
authors: K
authors: Kashofer
authors: Bilge
authors: B
authors: Reischauer
authors: Peter H J
authors: PH
authors: Riegman
authors: Rosa
authors: R
authors: Winther
authors: Ralf
authors: R
authors: Wyrich
authors: Karl-Friedrich
authors: KF
authors: Becker
authors: Uwe
authors: U
authors: Oelmüller
authors: Kurt
authors: K
authors: Zatloukal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids; D011506:Proteins