Masson Trichrome Staining

Overview

Masson trichrome staining is a histological technique that uses three dyes to distinguish between muscle (red/pink), collagen and fibrous tissue (blue/green), and cell nuclei (dark brown/black). It is widely used to assess fibrosis and collagen deposition in tissue sections, including in the tumor microenvironment to characterize desmoplastic stroma.

Used by

• Used to quantify collagen deposition and assess desmoplastic stroma in 86 GBC patient tissues; substantial collagen deposition was confirmed in GBC stroma alongside α-SMA+ (ACTA2) CAF infiltration PMID:24997986

Notes

• Particularly valuable for quantifying stromal fibrosis in cancer specimens.
• Distinguishes collagen (blue) from smooth muscle and cytoplasm (red/pink), enabling assessment of cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) activation.
• Often paired with immunohistochemistry for markers such as α-SMA (ACTA2) to characterize myofibroblast content.

Sources

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