title: Detecting microRNA in human cancer tissues with fluorescence in situ hybridization.
abstract: The technique of nucleic acid in situ hybridization is an effective method for identifying the existence and abundance of nucleic acids in tissue sections or cytological preparations. Such a method has the advantage of keeping morphological relationships intact while identifying changes at the molecular level. As a noncoding regulatory RNA, microRNA has been found to intricately control many physiological and pathological conditions. We provide here a representative fluorescence in situ hybridization protocol for microRNA detection, and note commonly used alternatives, and some troubleshooting points. The method described is based on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded oral cancer tissues but should be broadly applicable to similarly processed tissues of other types of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Zonggao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Jeff J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: M Sharon
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Stack
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs