Course Outline
Click on the links below to preview selected pages from this course.
- Overview of Tissue Microarrays
- Introduction
- Brief Historical Overview of Tissue Microarrays
- True or False: Tissue microarray planning, generation, and interpretation involves only pathologists.
- Applications of Tissue Microarrays
- Tissue Microarray Design
- Construction of the Microarray
- Instruments for Tissue Microarray Construction
- Manual versus Automated Tissue Microarray Construction
- True or False: Manual TMA methods are commonly used in laboratories with limited resources.
- True or False: Automated arrayers are ideal for working with calcified tissues or bone.
- Step-by-Step Construction of a Tissue Microarray
- Step 1: Retrieve, Prepare, and Organize the Histopathology Blocks and Slides
- Step 2: Design Tissue Microarray and Create the Map
- Step 3: Prepare the Recipient Blocks
- Step 4: Build the Tissue Microarray Block
- Step 5: Sectioning the TMA Block and Slides Preparation
- True or False: The recommended temperature range for the water bath when floating TMA sections is between 15°C and 30°C.
- Tissue Microarray Quality Control: Percentage of Core Loss Assessment
- Technical Accuracy Assessment of a Constructed Tissue Microarray
- True or False: A score of 1 means the core contains less than 50% target tissue.
- Storage of TMA Blocks and Slides
- Step 6: Manual Analysis of Biomarkers on Tissue Microarray Slides
- Computerized Image Analysis of Tissue Microarrays
- Advantages of Using Tissue Microarrays
- Disadvantages of Tissue Microarray Applications
- True or False: TMA technology allows for the use of internal tissue or cell controls on the same slide.
- Regulatory Requirements
- Conclusion
- References
Additional Information
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Intended Audience: Histology technologists, histotechnicians, pathologists' assistants, and other interested laboratory professionals. It would be beneficial for those working with surgical pathology specimens, tissue blocks, and constructing TMAs. This course is also appropriate for histology students and pathology residents.
Author Information:
Galina F. Khramtsova, MD, PhD, MS, HTL(ASCP)CM, earned her MD and PhD degrees at the St. Petersburg State I.I. Mechnikov Medical Academy. She also holds an MS degree in biology from St. Petersburg State University. She worked for many years in the field of molecular pathology and research. Currently, she is working as a senior scientist in the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago and is involved in the research and training of rotating medical students, residents, and fellows in medical laboratory science.
Andrey I. Khramtsov, MD, PhD, MS, PA(ASCP)CM, earned his MD and PhD degrees at the St. Petersburg State Medical Academy. He was a staff pathologist in various hospitals and universities in Russia and as a senior scientist at the University of Chicago. He also holds an MS degree from the Pathologists' Assistant Program at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Currently, he is working in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and is involved in the training of medical students, residents, and fellows.
The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.
Reviewer Information: Hari D. Patel, MBA, BAS, HT(ASCP)CM, is the Anatomic Pathology Training Coordinator for NeoGenomics in California, where he develops comprehensive training programs that produce highly skilled, certified histotechnologists. His laboratory career began in the U.S. Navy, serving as a Hospital Corpsman and Histopathology Technician, including leadership roles at high-volume military medical centers and representing the histology profession as a subject matter expert. His experience in healthcare operations, process improvement, and staff development continues in the Navy Reserve. He holds an MBA in Healthcare and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Health Sciences.
Course Description: Modern tissue microarray (TMA) is a histological method that involves relocating tissue cores from standard donor blocks and re-embedding them into a single recipient block at precisely defined locations. TMAs are increasingly used as quality assurance tools in diagnostic immunohistochemistry, biomarker validation for precision medicine, biobanking, and translational research.
