Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissues

Book excerpt: Presenting an area of research that intersects with and integrates diverse disciplines, including genomics, epigenetics, proteomics, and cellular biology, among others, Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissues: Methods and Protocols collects contributions from expert researchers in order to provide practical guidelines to this complex study. Compiled in order to provide researchers with up-to-date methodological information pertaining to the utilization of genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data in diagnosis, prognosis, and tailored therapy, the ultimate aim of this volume is to decipher diseases at a molecular level. Divided into multiple convenient chapters, this detailed book covers various techniques to construct and utilize tissue arrays, it also provides detailed protocols in immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, fluorescent and chromogenic in situ hybridization, and ultimately introduces protocols for FFPET microdissection and nucleic acids extraction for their utilization in advanced techniques such as microarray CGH, DNA methylation and pyrosequencing. The volume also discusses FFPET research from an ethical standpoint and concludes with a chapter on novel tissue fixative. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and accessible, Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissues: Methods and Protocols serves as a practical guide for scientists of all backgrounds and aims to convey the appropriate sense of fascination associated with this vital field of research.