Laser Capture Microdissection: Methods & Protocols

Expert laboratorians noted for their optimized methods describe in step-by-step detail how to successfully carry out tissue-based laser microdissection in their own laboratory using the different systems available and to apply a wide range of sophisticated molecular technologies to the microdissected tissue samples. Highlights include gene expression profiling of primary tumor cell populations using laser capture microdissection, RNA transcript amplification and GeneChip microarrays, laser capture microdissection and colorectal cancer proteomics, and proteomic analysis of human bladder tissue using SELDI approach following microdissection techniques. Applications of the microdissected tissue described encompass PCR, gene expression studies including microarray analysis, and proteomics.

Use of laser microdissection has grown enormously to become a very powerful high-throughput technology essential to a range of downstream applications in pathology, cancer research, life sciences, medical diagnostics, and biotechnology. In Laser Capture Microdissection, expert laboratory researchers noted for their optimized methods describe in step-by-step detail not only how to successfully carry out tissue-based laser microdissection in their own laboratories using the different systems available, but also how to apply a wide range of sophisticated molecular technologies to the microdissected tissue samples. These readily reproducible methods make it possible to carry out contamination-free molecular analyses of specific types of normal and diseased cells. Highlights include gene expression profiling of primary tumor cell populations, RNA transcript amplification and GeneChip® microarrays, colorectal cancer proteomics, and proteomic analysis of human bladder tissue using the SELDI® approach. Applications of the microdissected tissue described encompass PCR, gene expression studies including microarray analysis, and proteomics. The protocols follow the successful Methods in Molecular Biology™ series format, each offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principle behind the technique, lists of the necessary equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
Comprehensive and state-of-the-art, Laser Capture Microdissection provides a highly practical guide to successful tissue-based laser microdissection using available commercial systems and to the interpretation of the results using a wide range of sophisticated molecular technologies.