Molecular Characterization of Testicular Germ Cell Tumors Using Tissue Microdissection.

Testicular germ cell tumors are among the most common malignancies seen in children and young adults. Genomic studies have identified characteristic molecular profiles in testicular cancer, which are associated with histologic subtypes and may predict clinical behavior including treatment responses. Emerging molecular technologies analyzing tumor genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics may now guide precision management of testicular tumors. Laser-assisted microdissection methods such as laser capture microdissection efficiently isolate selected tumor cells from routine pathology specimens, avoiding contamination from nontarget cell populations. Laser capture microdissection in combination with next generation sequencing makes precise high throughput genetic evaluation effective and efficient. The use of laser capture microdissection (LCM) for molecular testing may translate into great benefits for the clinical management of patients with testicular cancers. This review discusses application protocols for laser-assisted microdissection to investigate testicular germ cell tumors.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.). 2021 Jan [Epub]

Liang Cheng, Steven A Mann, Antonio Lopez-Beltran, Michal Chovanec, Matteo Santoni, Mingsheng Wang, Costantine Albany, Nabil Adra, Darrell D Davidson, Alessia Cimadamore, Rodolfo Montironi, Shaobo Zhang

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA. ., Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA., Department of Pathology and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain., 2nd Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University and National Cancer Institute, Bratislava, Slovakia., Oncology Unit, Macerata Hospital, Macerata, Italy., Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA., Section of Pathological Anatomy, Polytechnic University of the Marche Region, School of Medicine, United Hospitals, Ancona, Italy.