Microdissection for detecting genetic aberrations in early and advanced human urinary bladder cancer

Methods Mol Biol. 2005:293:79-92. doi: 10.1385/1-59259-853-6:079.

Abstract

Laser microdissection is an essential method for the investigation of the multistep carcinogenic process in the urinary bladder. Reliable detection of tumor-specific alterations which can be compromised by the presence of normal cells, requires microdissection of pure tumor cell populations (>80%) to detect loss of heterozygosity (LOH) by either fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or sequence analysis. Multiple molecular methods need to be performed in the course of studying often-small lesions. This chapter describes in detail the use of laser microdissection, whole-genome amplification by improved primer extension preamplification (I-PEP)-polymerase chain reaction, and subsequent LOH, FISH, and sequencing analysis in the investigation of urothelial tumors and their precursor lesions. The combination of the described methods allows a wide spectrum of molecular investigations of tumor cells and helps to understand the fundamental alterations involved in urothelial carcinogenesis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Chromosome Aberrations*
  • Disease Progression
  • Early Diagnosis
  • Humans
  • Lasers*
  • Microdissection / methods*
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / pathology*