Automate à inclusion rapide : l'expérience bordelaise

Formalin fixation and classical tissue processing may not be adapted anymore to modern pathology that requires preservation of nucleic acids for molecular studies and rapid rendition of diagnoses. We have been testing for three years a high throughput formalin-free tissue processing system (Xpress® from Sakura™) and an alcohol-based molecular friendly fixative (Molecular Fixative®). With this system tissue samples can be processed within two hours as long as they are macroscopically cut at less than 2mm. The microscopic appearance of these tissues is similar to those fixed in formalin, apart from a retraction artefact that is dependent on tissue type and thickness of processed fragments. Minor technical adjustments enable immunohistochemical and FISH analyses. With this new processing technique DNA and RNA are of high quality and suitable for current molecular studies.