A simple and economical method for the manual construction of well-aligned tissue arrays

Tissue array technology has allowed a substantial progression of Studies correlating molecular and immunohistochemical findings with clinico-pathological information. Array construction presents technical difficulties and tissue arrayers are expensive, particularly for small and medium sized laboratories. We describe a simple manual method for producing, well-aligned tissue arrays using a hand-made paper mold which can Successfully perform immunohistochemical staining. All 200 tissue samples were collected and constructed into blocks by the paper mold. The tissue arrays were smoothly sectioned using a standard microtome and performed for a panel of immunohistochemical study with satisfactory results. This alterative method for building custom arrays Could be applied in any laboratory and is both simple and economical. (c) 2006 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.