Frozen Tissue Microarrays

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BioChain Institute, Inc. offers a range of frozen tissue samples in the form of microarrays. Arrays include multiple tissues and donors captured on the same slide, and are useful for customers who are seeking to identify a high number of biomarkers from a diversity of sources. Rather than using our individual frozen tissue sections or even our frozen tissue panels, a cost effective strategy is to use an array.

Understanding Frozen Tissue Arrays

With the advent of reliable ultra-low temperature freezers and plentiful supplies of liquid nitrogen, it has become feasible to freeze tissue as a second means of long term storage. Frozen tissues can be created through the conduct of “flash freezing”: biopsy materials are dipped in liquid nitrogen and then stored in an ultra cold freezer at less than -80 degrees Celsius. These frozen tissue blocks then undergo the process of becoming an array, in which tissue cores are manually extracted from different types of frozen tissue blocks and re-embedded into one section or slide at -10 degrees Celsius – the array. Arrays are capable of capturing anywhere from 30-45 different donors and tissue types. Using arrays, in only two slides you can observe 90 spots, and sometimes combine frozen, FFPE, and FDA-approved tissues for one assay. Frozen tissue arrays are useful for customers who are seeking to identify a high number of biomarkers from a diversity of sources while ensuring retention of any native characteristics of the tissue which might be lost in paraffinization.

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Applications of Frozen Tissue Arrays

Rapid Diagnosis

On a patient level, frozen tissues are used for rapid diagnosis. Creating cryopreserved tissue sections enables surgeons to conduct multiple biopsies within one procedure. This in turn allows more immediate turnaround time for analysis; a frozen tissue section or array can be created within moments of biopsy, while FFPE tissue requires at least a day to process. For patients who urgently need results, use of frozen tissue is a quick and reliable way to send samples in for analysis.

Molecular Research

Frozen tissue array is useful for in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry (IHC) studies. This is because the process of creating frozen tissue microarray causes minimal disruption to antigens within specific cells of interest. The frozen tissue also allows for reliable detection of translational modifications (e.g. phosphorylation) that are prone to disruption in paraffin fixation. You can use frozen tissue arrays in such studies with BioChain’s in situ hybridization extraction kits.

The high number of samples concentrated in one array enables a parallel analysis and rapid screening of novel gene or protein expression against an extensive panel of tissues. Frozen arrays can thus be used effectively for high throughput molecular profiling of healthy and diseased tissue.

Frozen tissue arrays are especially useful for any molecular analytics that demand preservation of DNA, RNA, or protein in their native state – for example, frozen arrays are excellent for use in enzymatic IHC, because frozen tissues retain enzymatic activity, such as those related to protein function or signaling pathways, better than their paraffin-embedded counterparts.

Some other specific applications include:

Rapid gene or protein expression pattern analysis
Comparative gene or protein expression analysis
Therapeutic/diagnostic antibody validation; clinical validation of newly-discovered biomarkers

Benefits of Using Frozen Tissue Arrays: Why Frozen, and Why an Array?

Native Preservation

Because sections of frozen tissue do not have to undergo any fixation procedures (as in our formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, or FFPE tissues), the DNA, RNA, and proteins in these samples are able to better retain their native characteristics – they are preserved in their natural state. This avoids cross-linking and molecular denaturing issues that FFPE tissues sometimes face. In frozen tissues, these non-denatured proteins can be isolated in a still active form, for biochemical analysis.

High Throughput Analysis

Using frozen tissue microarrays allows you to marry the benefits of native preservation with the high throughput potential of an array. Tissue arrays can contain thousands of representative samples of different tissues on one slide, exponentially increasing your analytic power and demanding less of your resources.

Cost-Effectiveness

The high-throughput nature of tumor microarrays can often be more cost-effective than analyzing samples individually. The ability to process multiple samples in parallel reduces the per-sample cost, making frozen microarrays suitable for large-scale studies in antibody research, enzymatic IHC, or comparative gene analysis.

Highlighted Features of our Frozen Tissue Arrays:

BioChain’s frozen tissue arrays are:

Designed according to FDA guidelines
Include a broad range of tissues within each array
Suitable for both radioactive and non-radioactive detection
Available as matched organ single tissue sections
Sourced from a variety of human donors
Achieve better antigen exposure than paraffin embedded tissue

Rigorous Quality Control and Standards

BioChain’s frozen tissue arrays have been meticulously selected and identified by our board licensed pathologist. Our samples are IRB-approved and retrieved from consented donors. These arrays make an ideal screening tool prior to deeper analysis of just the most relevant tissue and tumor types. Feel free to view our digitally scanned slides on the product pages below!

Trusted by the top 500 global pharmaceutical, biotechnology and academic leaders for over 25 years, BioChain's biggest advocates are our customers.

Case Study

“Statistical mining of triple-negative breast cancer-specific nanobodies among huge libraries from immunized alpacas”

BioChain's Frozen Tissue Array was instrumental in a pioneering study conducted by COGNANO, Inc., which identified crucial antibodies for combating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Our product ensured the preservation of vital cellular structures and proteins, facilitating advanced research and the development of targeted therapies and diagnostics for combating TNBC. This significant breakthrough, enabled by the quality and precision of our Frozen Tissue Array, highlights its essential role in pushing the boundaries of medical research and improving patient care in oncology.

Learn more about the study and its implications by reading the full article at this link.