Creation of Efficient Pathology Research Pipelines for Discovery: Tissue Microarray Construction Coupled with Digital Image Analysis

Pathology translational research pipelines are complex, as many studies rely on analyses of tissue immunohistochemistry. High-throughput methodologies such as tissue microarrays (TMAs) have been critical for many recent advancements as large datasets are necessary to make detailed disease and biologic discoveries. Currently, TMA molds can be purchased from online vendors or constructed in house with complex machinery. However, there are certain limitations to these molds, such as cost per mold and inability for selection of core slot patterns. Thus, we propose a practical and cost-effective method for constructing a silicone-based rubber TMA mold that can be used to create a paraffin template block. Our results show that these self-manufactured molds are durable, effective and easy to customize, reducing operating costs and creating flexibility for users. Furthermore, in leveraging this technique, we describe coupling TMA-prepared slides with a rapid research-focused digital analytic pipeline that allows for a streamlined method of quantitative and qualitative companion discovery.