Use of dissected paraffin block tissue as a source of mRNA for transcriptional profiling and biomarker identification: a review, with preliminary findings in adrenocortical carcinoma tissue

• Published in: Acta biochimica polonica
• Main Authors: Waszut, Urszula, Taylor, Norman F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 27-05-2022
• ISSN: 0001-527X; 1734-154X
• DOI: 10.18388/abp.2020_5611

Cancer tissue obtained by biopsy or at surgery is usually handled and stored as formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks. While primarily prepared for histological examination, this material represents a valuable resource that is stable and transportable, and which is ideal for examination in 3 dimensions. It has been used for DNA and protein analysis but the potential for transcriptional profiling has been little exploited: the quality of the extracted RNA is uncertain and there are few reports of its efficient use. We review the background and practicalities of this approach and describe a pilot study as a worked example in which RNA of good yield and quality could be consistently obtained from differentiated areas of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) tissue.