METHODS AND DEVICES FOR TISSUE SAMPLE MANIPULATION
Disclosed herein, inter alia, are devices and methods for efficient transfer and analyses of cellular material, tissue samples, such as tissue sections.
1 . A method of immobilizing a tissue section, comprising:
contacting a vessel comprising a tissue section with a carrier device comprising a mold frame defining a cavity, wherein a polymeric support is formed within the cavity, wherein the vessel comprises water and the tissue section is at or on the surface of the water; and
removing the carrier device from the vessel, wherein the tissue section is immobilized to a surface of the polymeric support.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to immobilizing the tissue section, the method comprises contacting the cavity with a polymer precursor and solidifying the polymer precursor to form the polymeric support within the cavity.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an inner wall of the mold frame comprises a rib that extends into the cavity, the rib configured to retain the polymeric support within the cavity.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the rib extends into the cavity from a peripheral wall of the mold frame, and wherein the rib extends around an inner perimeter of the cavity.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a peripheral trough surrounds the cavity and is configured to collect excess liquid.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier device further comprises a handle, and wherein the handle comprises a planar structure that extends outwardly from a side of the carrier device.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric support comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of agarose, amylose, amylopectin, alginate, gelatin, cellulose, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, and acrylate polymers and copolymers thereof.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vessel comprises water at about 37° C. to about 50° C. and the tissue section is a formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue section.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising excising a portion of the polymeric support comprising the tissue section and depositing the portion onto a receiving substrate.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising removing the polymeric support from the portion and contacting the tissue section with a labeled probe.
11 . A method of detecting a biomolecule in a tissue section, comprising:
immobilizing the tissue section onto a polymeric support formed within a cavity of a mold frame to generate a sample-carrier construct;
excising a portion of the sample-carrier construct;
contacting the tissue section of the portion with a receiving substrate to generate an immobilized tissue section;
removing the polymeric support from the immobilized tissue section; and
contacting the biomolecule in the tissue section with a detection agent and detecting the detection agent, thereby detecting the biomolecule.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the polymeric support comprises agarose, polyacrylamide, cellulose, alginate, polyamide, dextran or polyethylene glycol.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the receiving substrate comprises a functionalized glass surface.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the functionalized glass surface comprises includes (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES), (3-Aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS), γ-Aminopropylsilatrane (APS), N-(6-aminohexyl)aminomethyltriethoxysilane (AHAMTES), polyethylenimine (PEI), 5,6-epoxyhexyltriethoxysilane, or triethoxysilylbutyraldehyde, or a combination thereof.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein removing the polymeric support comprises thermally removing the polymeric support at about 40° C. to about 70° C.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the polymeric support is free of adhesives.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the tissue section comprises brain tissue, breast tissue, skin tissue, bone tissue, lung tissue, liver tissue, stomach tissue, small intestine tissue, large intestine tissue, pancreas tissue, ovarian tissue, testis tissue, heart tissue, kidney tissue, uterus tissue, or prostate tissue.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the tissue section is about 5 μm to about 20 μm thick.
19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the mold frame comprises a rib extending into the cavity, the rib configured to retain the hydrogel carrier substrate within the cavity.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the sample-carrier construct comprises interfacial water between the polymeric support and the tissue section.