Navigating Tissue Microarray Construction: A Guide for Avoiding Pitfalls and Mastering Key Technical Aspects
Correspondence Address :
Preeti Diwaker,
Professor, Department of Pathology, Fourth Floor, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi-110095, India.
E-mail: diwaker_preeti@yahoo.in
Introduction: Tissue Microarray (TMA) is a novel technique that is now integral in pre-clinical and translational research. In resource-limited settings, automated microarrayers and molds are out of reach, and manual TMA construction may be done instead.
Aim: To explore the pitfalls encountered while constructing manual TMAs and to troubleshoot these problems using the available resources.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done between September 2019 and March 2021 in the Department of Pathology at a tertiary healthcare center in New Delhi using 60 mastectomy specimens. Five manual TMAs were constructed using simple, cheap, and readily available resources. Problems encountered during the construction were identified and documented. Solutions attempted to troubleshoot the common problems were documented, and their outcomes were evaluated.
Results: Difficulty in core extraction, cracking of TMAs during core insertion, loss of cores, misalignment of cores, bulging of blocks, difficulty in sectioning due to non-uniform cores, and loss of cores during sectioning were major problems identified. Simple measures such as prior warming of both donor and recipient blocks, use of punch biopsy needles with a plunger, maintaining a margin around the cores, using wax cores to align cores, and adequate cooling prior to sectioning helped in overcoming these problems. Other solutions that were attempted but did not yield satisfying results included the use of agarose in paraffin blocks and the use of liquid wax to seal cracks and gaps.
Conclusion: Manual TMA is not only feasible, it is easy to construct once the technique is learned and the problems that commonly arise in its construction are tackled. The modifications suggested in the present study can aid in constructing these microarrays faster and avoid both wastage of time and resources. TMAs can thus be used as an alternative to traditional paraffin-based techniques for research applications in resource-limited centers with high patient loads.
Kononen method, Manual Tissue Microarray, Troubleshooting
DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2024/68591.19288
Date of Submission: Nov 12, 2023
Date of Peer Review: Jan 10, 2024
Date of Acceptance: Feb 26, 2024
Date of Publishing: Apr 01, 2024
AUTHOR DECLARATION:
• Financial or Other Competing Interests: None
• Was Ethics Committee Approval obtained for this study? Yes
• Was informed consent obtained from the subjects involved in the study? NA
• For any images presented appropriate consent has been obtained from the subjects. NA
PLAGIARISM CHECKING METHODS:
• Plagiarism X-checker: Nov 20, 2023
• Manual Googling: Jan 18, 2024
• iThenticate Software: Feb 24, 2024 (6%)
ETYMOLOGY: Author Origin
EMENDATIONS: 6
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