Immunohistochemistry services to find and grab onto antigens—substances like viruses, bacteria, fungi and cancer cells—that are present in a tissue sample. Once attached, the antibody “stains” the tissue to make it visible for pathologists to view under a microscope. The results can help them identify specific tumor markers and determine the tissue of origin, which is critical in determining the best treatment options for patients. In addition to helping pathologists identify the type of tumor, IHC can also aid in grading and staging (how aggressive or spread-out a tumor is) and can be used to monitor disease progression over time.

The Histopathology Shared Resource has performed a wide variety of immunohistochemistry stains for researchers in the past. The HSR team can provide insight based on this experience and can also assist with optimization of new antibodies to maximize detection, reduce background and improve reproducibility.

Comprehensive Immunohistochemistry Services: What Researchers Should Expect

In the classical IHC assay, epitopes on a target protein-target are identified with a primary antibody that binds to those epitopes with high specificity. Then a secondary antibody is coupled to a chemical that reacts with the antibody-epitope complex, producing a color change when the tissue is viewed under a microscope.

The sensitivity of IHC assays can be affected by numerous factors, including tissue fixation, antigen retrieval methods and the use of multiple, different antibodies. For this reason, establishing an effective quality assurance plan for your IHC lab is essential. This can be accomplished by reviewing the entire process and identifying pain points where errors are most likely to occur. Having a detailed Quality Assurance/Validation (QA/VAL) plan will allow you to detect and correct problems quickly and accurately.