The cell block technique revisited for cells cultured in adherence and as "spheres"

Histochem Cell Biol. 2013 Dec;140(6):685-90. doi: 10.1007/s00418-013-1139-0. Epub 2013 Sep 8.

Abstract

A simple modification of the cell block technique for cultured cells grown in different conditions and suitable for the construction of tissue micro arrays (TMA) is described. The application of mechanical stirring during clot formation allows the uniform dispersion of cells in the fibrin mesh, thus increasing the final volume of the embedded material of evenly distributed cells. This technique is easily applied to spheres-obtained from cell lines cultured under appropriate conditions-that are enriched in stem cells. The possibility of constructing TMA using cell lines (grown in adherence and as spheres) and samples of the corresponding tumors or normal tissues may allow the direct comparison of original tumors with in vitro-expanded cell lines.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Culture Techniques / methods*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / cytology
  • Paraffin Embedding*
  • Tissue Array Analysis*