The Experimental Pathology Shared Resource Laboratory is a non-profit laboratory that provides Cancer Institute investigators with centralized, comprehensive histological services. The laboratory currently works with over 60 investigators. By providing a centralized laboratory, we offer convenient access to all services within one facility, save costs for investigators and the institution, increase efficiency of sample processing, eliminate duplication of services and equipment, and maintain stringent quality control standards. The laboratory has extensive experience in routine histology and immunohistochemistry involving both human and animal tissues.

Tissue Work Order/IDT

Services Provided
*Processing and embedding of tissues
*Frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue sections
*Routine hematoxylin/eosin staining
*A wide range of special histochemical stains
*Immunohistochemistry
*Sectioning of tissues for molecular studies and laser capture dissection
*Aperio digital slide scanning, brightfield and Fluorescence

The mechanisms of toxic tissue injury and cell death underlie numerous human diseases as well as the effects of pharmaceutical drugs and environmental toxins. These mechanisms are complex and vary with tissue structure, vascularization, spectrum of cell death proteins, nature of damaging agent, the strength, length and frequency of the exposure to the injury, and many other factors. Accordingly, cell death can take forms of apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy, mitotic catastrophe, as well as some intermediate or more specific forms of cell death including aponecrosis, oncosis, anoikis or abortosis. To approach this complexity, the best strategy for assessment of toxic tissue injury includes the use of: a) common methods that occur in all injuries independent of causes, mechanisms or the origin of tissue; b) methods that are quantitative; and c) approaches that allow, if necessary, combining observations with other methods to determine the mechanism of cell injury and death.

DNA fragmentation (i.e., accumulation of unprepared double-stranded DNA breaks) is a form of DNA damage, which indicates that cell death reached the point of no return and became irreversible. DNA fragmentation is a hallmark of all types of cell death regardless of the mechanism. To determine the mechanisms and molecules involved in cell death, DNA fragmentation assays can be easily combined with immunocytochemistry.

The Flow Core facility offers several services including analysis by flow cytometry, cell sorting and cytokine analysis. The Facility has 3 instruments: FACS Calibur for up to 4-color analysis, DNA cell cycle, cell proliferation, etc, the FACS Aria for up to 9 color analysis as well as cell sorting, and the Bioplex for cytokine analysis.

The UAMS DNA Sequencing Facility provides DNA sequencing using an Applied Biosystems 3100 Genetic Analyzer. Turn around time is typically within two business days. Common vector primers are provided free of charge. New customers get two free reactions.