Formalin Fixed and Paraffin Embedded Tissue Based Assays for Disease Diagnosis
Narayanappa Rajeswari,
Associate Professor,
Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering
Retrospective studies aiming to elucidate the molecular mechanisms driving any disease subsequently aiding in its diagnosis require collection and characterization of a significant number of patient tissue samples. Since long term storage and access of fresh tissues have many challenges, development of archives of formalin fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE) sections are widely adopted. FFPE tissue repertoires with patient clinical data have been gathered for decades, presenting a valuable resource for retrospective studies. FFPE tissues are routinely used world-wide for histopathological diagnosis of various diseases. However, these tissues pose a number of challenges despite its ability to conserve morphological information and stability. Particularly, the formalin induced cross-linking causes inconvenience in the extraction of nucleic acids and protein thus limiting their use in downstream analysis. Nevertheless, recent progress in extraction and diagnostic techniques using FFPE tissue has unlocked the diagnostic potential of this incredibly valuable resource. Novel promising technologies that have been developed have enabled rapid and simultaneous analysis of many FFPE patient samples which is crucial for treatment decisions. Thus, FFPE tissues hold great potential as a resource for disease associated biomarker signatures setting a stage for the next generation of biomarker driven disease diagnosis. Additionally, with growing interest in understanding the molecular basis of any disease, FFPE samples represent a valuable resource since follow-up clinical data and disease prognosis are often collected years after the specimen collection. Furthermore, data from FFPE tissue based assays not only complement disease diagnosis but also allow designing of personalized therapeutic regimens.
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