Tissue microarrays for translational research

Abstract

Advances in the identification of genes and proteins that are connected to human disease have resulted in an enormously increased need for validation studies including large sets of clinically well-defined tissue samples in order to translate basic molecular findings into clinically useful applications. The tissue microarray (TMA) technology combines hundreds of minute tissue samples on a single microscopic slide and overcomes the bottleneck of traditional large section tissue analysis. The array format facilitates linking of pathological and clinical data to the molecular results obtained from TMA studies. Consequently, tissue microarrays have become a standard tool for modern high-throughput tissue analysis. Current techniques and applications of the TMA technology in cancer research are discussed.