Immunophenotyping Combined with Laser Capture Microdissection (Immuno-LCM)

Abstract

The collection of homogeneous or pure cell populations for molecular analyses has been a difficult challenge for many years. Many different approaches have been tried unsuccessfully to obtain pure populations of pituitarycells. Recent developments in laser capture microdissection have facilitated the process of acquiring homogeneous cell populations. Some investigators have combined LCM with immunophenotyping before performance of the LCM procedure. With this combined approach, immunophenotypically homogeneous cell population can be readily collected for molecular analyses. We will review the general approaches to immuno-LCM and show how these methods have been applied recently for the analysis of folliculostellate cells in the pituitary gland.