Question: Is bone-derived soft tissue compatible with Xenium In Situ Gene Expression?
Answer: Soft tissue that is derived from human or mouse bone is compatible with Xenium In Situ Gene expression with no protocol modifications. Soft tissue includes tissue dissected completely away from any surrounding bone or biopsies where no residual bone is remaining. The guidance here does not apply to any soft tissue containing any amount of calcified bone or cartilage. The risk of calcified bone in soft tissue is tissue damage during sectioning. The blade can hit the bone shards and dull the blade (which can lead to tissue tears or variable section thickness). Furthermore, the bone shards can shear surrounding tissue during sectioning.
If tissue or biopsy specimens are free of any bone, it is possible to proceed with either fresh frozen or FFPE tissue preparation according to standard Xenium In Situ Tissue Preparation protocols.
Fresh frozen tissue:
FFPE tissue:
Tips and tricks for optimal FFPE tissue fixation:
- Do you have recommendations for FFPE tissue fixation for Xenium?
- Do you have tips and tricks for pre-fixation tissue handling for Xenium?
- How does delayed fixation impact Xenium performance?
If Xenium In Situ Gene Expression data is desired for tissue containing bone or cartilage, please refer to:
Product: Xenium In Situ Gene Expression