The lung is ideally suited to the application of histological methods to study its structure, cellular composition, and molecular characteristics of more than 30 types of cells. The key in these endeavors are proper tissue preservation/fixation, well-established protocols aimed at sectioning and staining, and understanding of lung morphology. Molecular studies can be performed in laser-captured cells and microscopic structures.
Keywords: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE); H&E staining; Immunohistochemistry (IHC); Laser capture microdissection (LCM); PCR array pathway-focused gene expression; Pentachrome staining.