Biobanking of processed mice brains

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Scope of the method

The Method relates to
  • Animal health
  • Human health
The Method is situated in
  • Basic Research
  • Translational - Applied Research
Type of method
  • In vitro - Ex vivo
This method makes use of
  • Animal derived cells / tissues / organs
Species from which cells/tissues/organs are derived
Mouse, human
Type of cells/tissues/organs
Brain

Description

Method keywords
  • biobanking
  • frozen tissue
  • paraffin blocks
  • brain slices
  • mouse
  • IHC and IF stainings
Scientific area keywords
  • neuropathology
  • tissue biobanking
  • biochemistry
  • genetics and transcriptomics
Method description

Brain from treated and not treated mice is collected after death. Tissue is fixed in 4% PFA for 4 days. After specific cutting (ex. L and R hemisphere) tissue is placed in a cassette. Cassette is placed in Tissue Processor (where water from the tissue is removed and replaced with paraffin). Brain is embedded in paraffin. After paraffin block is ready it can be cut with microtome and slides can be stained or stored. In this method tissue from different mouse strains, different age, treated or not treated mice can be processed and stored for future applications/projects. Slides can be used for different kinds of stainings even years after collecting of the tissue.

Lab equipment
  • PFA 4% ;
  • Perfusion equipment ;
  • Paraffin ;
  • Tissue Processor ;
  • Tissue embedding equipment ; 
  • Microtome.
Method status
  • History of use
  • Internally validated

Pros, cons & Future potential

Advantages

Collected, processed and sliced tissue from one mouse can be used for many different projects.

Challenges
  • Big challenge for this method is collecting enough tissue from enough number of mice at different age.
  • Space for collected tissue (blocks and slides).
Modifications

Biobanking can be used for any type of tissue and any kind of lab animal. Another alternative method to replace studies on murine disease models for pathological features is the use of human autopsy tissue that allows to study a disease as well, which is collected in ethically approved recruitment projects. Alternatively, frozen tissue/lysates not entirely needed for a distinct study can also be kept frozen in the biobank for further experiments.

Future & Other applications

Centralized Animal Biobank may potentially decrease number of animal used in experiments.

References, associated documents and other information

Associated documents

Organisations

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL)
Department of Imaging & Pathology
Belgium

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL)
Neuropathology Lab
Belgium