Tissue Microarray Applications: A Valuable Clinical and Research Resource

Abstract

Widespread applications of tissue microarrays (TMAs) in both cancer research and clinical pathology demonstrate a versatile and portable technology. The rapid integration of TMA technology into the biomarker discovery and validation process reflects the forward thinking of researchers who pioneered the high-density TMA. The precise arrangement of hundreds of archival clinical tissue samples into a composite paraffin block is now a proven method for efficient and standardized analyses of molecular markers. With applications in cancer research, TMAs are a valuable tool in viiidating candidate markers identified in highly sensitive genome-wide microarray experiments. With applications in clinical pathology, TMAs are used widely in immunohistochemistry for quality control and quality assurance. TMAs can demonstrate antibody thresholds on a single slide, which aid in optimization where high and low signal intensities can be seen. This type of application lends itself to clinical pathology and immunohistochemistry panels run daily to improve biomarker identification and characterization. The TMA industry now includes public and private resources with varying degrees of research utility. In this article, we will explore several potential TMA applications in basic research, prognostic oncology, and drug discovery. (The J Histotechnol 28:223, 2005)Submitted September 6, 2005; accepted with revisions December 6, 2005