Molecular Pathology Unit

The Molecular Pathology Unit (MPU) supports research groups at IEO, or in collaborating Institutions, in the execution of large-scale experiments utilizing human pathological material for the identification of novel tumor markers for diagnostic and/or prognostic applications, or of cancer targets for drug discovery efforts. The MPU provides expertise and specific services for tissue processing (FFPE/fresh/frozen samples), tissue microarray (TMA) construction, tissue sectioning, slide staining and analysis (mostly IHC, ISH), and pathology material storage. The MPU also supports mouse pathology work, providing a dedicated space and technical assistance to users.

In close collaboration with the Pathology Department at IEO, the MPU has access to tissue archives dating back to 1994, when IEO was established. These archives are an invaluable source of patient material that can be used for the construction and continuous replenishment of ad hocTMAs. Thanks to data stored by the IEO Tumor Registry, all arrayed tissues are linked to complete clinicopathological information and follow-up data. Thus, the MPU can provide support to large-scale studies that require case collections with high quality follow-up data and/or dedicated TMAs. Through its Bioinformatics experts, the MPU provides assistance in determining the links between gene expression patterns and clinicopathological parameters or clinical outcome, a necessary step for the validation of new diagnostic and prognostic markers.