Tissue Microarrays Methods and Protocols

Today’s tissue microarray (TMA) method presents as a modern high-tech technology, one which allows for the linking of clinical data to the tissues that are combined on one slide. In Tissue Microarrays: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers explore the

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Tissue Microarrays Methods and Protocols

Edited by Ronald Simon

Methods

in

Molecular Biology™

Series Editor John M. Walker School of Life Sciences University of Hertfordshire Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9AB, UK



For other titles published in this series, go to www.springer.com/series/7651

d

Tissue Microarrays Methods and Protocols

Edited by

Ronald Simon Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg- Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

Editor Dr. Ronald Simon Institute of Pathology University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf Hamburg Germany [email protected]

ISSN 1064-3745 e-ISSN 1940-6029 ISBN 978-1-60761-805-8 e-ISBN 978-1-60761-806-5 DOI 10.1007/978-1-60761-806-5 Springer New York Dordrecht Heidelberg London Library of Congress Control Number: 2010931282 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010 All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher (Humana Press, c/o Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA), except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or ­dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights. While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of going to press, ­neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. Printed on acid-free paper Humana Press is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)

Preface The tissue microarray (TMA) method presents as a modern high technology, although its roots go back to the 80s when researchers first started to combine several small pieces of tissues into so-called sausage blocks. In this respect, the TMA invention was not firstly characterized by technical improvements, but its true novelty was to link clinical data to the tissues that were combined on one slide. The very high number of tissues that can be included into one TMA, the small size and regular shape of the tissue spots, the preservation of integrity of the donor tissue blocks, and the highly organized array pattern that allows for reliable allocation of clinical data to individual tissue spots made it a discrete technique with unique features. When the TMA technology was developed 12 years ago, its benefit was controversially debated. While many researchers welcomed the method enthusiastically, there were concerns by others that results obtained from the small tissue cores used for TMA making would not