a technique originally developed
for the isolation of specific tumor cells for cancer
research – enables such highly precise targeting
and selection of specific cells of interest for subsequent
genetic and/or molecular analysis (16,17).
In contrast to the conventional microdissection described
above, which may collect many non-targeted
cells, the heat of the laser beam melts the
plastic film, causing it to adhere only to the targeted
cells. After adhering to the film, targeted
cells are being lifted away, leaving the rest of the
tissue section intact (16,17). Applied in these cases,
LCM allowed us specific isolation of placental
chorionic villi from paraffin-embedded sections,
leaving the maternal tissue on a slide (Fig. 1B).