A Rapid Throughput Method To Extract DNA from Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissues for Biomonitoring Carcinogenic DNA Adducts

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues are rarely used for screening DNA adducts of carcinogens because the harsh conditions required to reverse the formaldehyde-mediated DNA cross-links can destroy DNA adducts. We recently adapted a commercial silica-based column kit used in genomics to manually isolate DNA under mild conditions from FFPE tissues of rodents and humans and successfully measured DNA adducts of several carcinogens including aristolochic acid I (AA-I), 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP), and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) (Yun et al. (2013) Anal. Chem. 85, 4251–8, and Guo et al. (2016) Anal. Chem. 88, 4780–7). The DNA retrieval methodology is robust; however, the procedure is time-consuming and labor intensive, and not amenable to rapid throughput processing. In this study, we have employed the Promega Maxwell 16 MDx system, which is commonly used in large scale genomics studies, for the rapid throughput extraction of DNA. This system streamlines the DNA isolation proce...