Microdissection: a novel method for the study of intracellular inclusion bodies

The purification of many intracellular and extracellular inclusions is often difficult to achieve due to the low concentration of the abnormalities in the tissue under study, or due to the degradation of components during extraction. We describe the use of microdissection for the isolation of neurons and intraneuronal inclusion bodies. The resulting suspension may be used for biochemical, immunological or ultrastructural studies. The technique is applicable to the study of a wide range of cellular abnormalities.