IHC Master’s Diary: Antigen Retrieval – Heat-Induced Epitope Retrieval

IHC Master Hand Diary Comic SeriesIn the opening of the IHC Master Hand Diary comic series, we discussed the first step of tissue pre-treatment: fixation, which has garnered considerable attention and positive feedback from many pathology teachers.In this issue, we will delve into the first step of the staining process—antigen retrieval.

In daily work, when observing under the microscope after staining, if weak staining, no staining, uneven expression, or non-specific background staining is found, the first question that comes to mind is, ‘Was antigen retrieval performed?‘, ‘Was antigen retrieval done properly?‘, fully highlighting the importance of antigen retrieval as a ‘hidden gem’ in the field. As one of the most commonly used methods for antigen retrieval, heat-induced epitope retrieval (HIER) has several key points to note. Let’s follow along with the editor to take a look!TEXT_8