Defining disease with laser precision: laser capture microdissection in gastroenterology

Abstract

Laser capture microdissection (LCM) is an efficient and precise method for obtaining pure cell populations or specific cells of interest from a given tissue sample. LCM has been applied to animal and human gastroenterology research in analyzing the protein, DNA, and RNA from all organs of the gastrointestinal system. There are numerous potential applications for this technology in gastroenterology research, including malignancies of the esophagus, stomach, colon, biliary tract, and liver. This technology can also be used to study gastrointestinal infections, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, motility, malabsorption, and radiation enteropathy. LCM has multiple advantages when compared with conventional methods of microdissection, and this technology can be exploited to identify precursors to disease, diagnostic biomarkers, and therapeutic interventions.

Figure 1. Laser Capture Microdissection

(A) This diagram demonstrates that when the laser is activated it causes adhesion of the thermoplastic membrane to the cells of interest within the tissue section. (B) Lifting the cap selects the cells that adhered to the thermoplastic membrane.

Figure 2. Enterocytes

(A) Representation of the enterocytes in the crypt-villus axis. (B) H&E staining of small intestine mucosa. (C–F) LCM of the enterocytes from the upper portion of crypts. (G–I) LCM of the enterocytes from the middle portion of the villi. This figure is from Gassler et al.

Figure 3. Mouse Enterocyte Crypt

(A) The morphology of the extracted crypts and adjacent cells is maintained during capture, showing that the correct population of cells is obtained. (B) RT-PCR of cell compartment specific genes for cDNA made from total RNA isolated from LCM-extracted crypt cells, showing the specificity of the LCM procedure for crypts. This figure is from Erwin et al.