Antibodies, A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition, Edited by Edward A. Greenfield



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Preparing Paraffin Tissue Sections

(Protocol summary only for purposes of this preview site)

Most histological studies are performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples. Therefore, there is an extensive atlas of most tissues and organs prepared from these sources, and comparing the location of antigens to these data is immediately informative. However, the fixation and embedding procedures are harsh, and many antigens are not well preserved. Because of the harsh fixation, embedding, and preparation conditions, cell staining of paraffin-embedded tissue sections usually requires sensitive detection methods and may require amplification using multiple-layer techniques. The protein cross-linking associated with these fixation conditions can mask epitopes. To uncover them and thus improve antibodyantigen binding, the epitopes can be unmasked by reversing the protein cross-linking. One thermal method is presented at the end of this protocol in Additional Protocol: Heat-Induced Epitope Retrieval.

Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, Second edition
Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, Second edition
Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, Second edition

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