Laser capture microscopy

Human tissues are composed of complex admixtures of different cell types an d their biologically meaningful analysis necessitates the procurement of pu re samples of the cells of interest. Many approaches have been used in atte mpts to overcome this difficulty, including a variety of microdissection me thods. This review concerns a recent advance in microdissection techniques, namely laser capture microdissection (LCM). The principle underlying this technique is outlined, and practical issues pertaining to LCM are considere d. In addition, the literature relating to LCM is reviewed, with examples o f research applications of this technique being outlined.