System Offers Both Morphology Preservation and Biomolecule Stabilization

An integrated laboratory system for sample fixation, stabilization, and purification is available. The system allows scientists to perform histology, immunohistochemistry, and stabilized nucleic acid extractions from one sample without compromising workflow.

The system has two components: a tissue container and tissue kits. The dual-chambered container is prefilled with two reagents: a tissue fixative for fast penetration and fixation, and a tissue stabilizer for storage and transport. The fixation process uses a standard histocasette with a fixative that is an alternative to formalin and is stopped when the sample is transferred into the stabilizer. Fixation time is standardized at two to four hours.

The sample remains stable in the tissue stabilizer for transport and storage prior to processing. The tissue can then be paraffin embedded and processed in pathology workflows. After the tissue sample has been stabilized in tissue containers (and optionally paraffin embedded), ribonucleic acid (RNA), micro (mi)RNA, and DNA can be purified using tissue kits.

Laboratories working with human and animal tissue need to conduct a variety of analyses on limited sample materials. The recognized standard for preserving tissue morphology is formalin fixation/paraffin embedding (FFPE). This method provides excellent results for morphological studies, but it does not preserve biomolecules. As a result, the DNA, RNA, and miRNA molecules degrade, preventing the complete analysis required. This would hinder applications such as the development of diagnostics and therapeutics, biomarker discovery, and case-controlled and population-based clinical studies.

The technology, called the PAXgene tissue system, is the newest addition to Qiagen's (Frankfurt, Germany) suite of tissue management technologies. The suite includes integrated products that standardize all steps of the workflow, starting with archived or prospectively collected tissues and ending with data analysis. This ensures comparability and reproducibility of data from laboratory to laboratory.

Qiagen is a global provider of sample and assay technologies. Sample technologies are used to isolate and process nucleic acids and proteins from biologic samples such as blood or tissue. Assay technologies are used to make such isolated biomolecules visible. The company provides its products to molecular diagnostics laboratories, academic researchers, pharmaceutic, and biotechnology companies.

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