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Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

The science of immunohistochemistry (IHC) is evolving, as evidenced by the development of increasingly sophisticated automated staining platforms, production of specific antibodies for a wide range of species and the availability of a range of novel biomarkers. IHC studies optimize staining protocols for specific target expression/profiling in human and animal tissues that can be used for a variety of reasons, such as proliferation/apoptosis studies, immuno-oncology, ocular tissues, tumor profiling and tissue cross reactivity.

Common IHC Applications

  • Characterize immune cells
  • Evaluate the relationship of tumor cells and immune cells
  • Visualize cells that are not visible on standard H&E e.g. microglia
  • Detect and measure cell proliferation
  • Identify which patients are likely to gain benefit from a drug
  • Assess on or off target binding of an antibody drug
  • Determine the specific location of a protein in a tissue sample i.e. in situ proteomics
  • Track human stem cells xenotransplanted into animal models that are used to study their fate
  • Study drug metabolism e.g. insulin and glucagon
  • Visualize a reporter gene product such as Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)
  • Comply with guidance such as The Society of Toxicologic Pathology (STP)

GLP IHC Features

  • Automated IHC stainers with onboard antigen retrieval capabilities:
    • Leica BOND RX
    • Ventana Discovery XT
    • Ventana Discovery Ultra
    • Ventana Benchmark Ultra
  • High throughput manual methods using ThermoScientific Shandon Sequenza
  • Tissue cross reactivity studies
  • Immunophenotyping by IHC
  • Multiplexing, including dual IHC/ISH
  • Multi-species optimally processed tissue bank
  • Experience dating back to 1988
  • Hundreds of methods previously developed
  • Scientific and technical expertise for novel method development

What You Get 

  • Hundreds of standard and uncommon (or customizable) assays
  • Multiplex staining technologies (chromogenic and fluorescent) 
  • Large bank of optimally processed paraffin embedded and frozen tissues
  • Consistent use of major automated IHC platforms, validated to ensure electronic data regulatory compliance (also see SEND)
  • Standard operating procedures among global facilities in Asia, Europe and North American

 

Four images from left to right. First: Human NSCLC CD3 CD68 CK. Second: Mouse Spleen CD8. Third: Rat Brain GFAP. Fourth: Rat Pancreas - Chromogranin A

 

IHC Publications & Posters

  • Application of multiple methods for GFP detection in histological sections in animal toxicity studies
  • Evaluation of AAV-based gene delivery to retinal cells in histological sections in animal toxicity studies
  • Angiomatous hyperplasia in the heart of a young rat (NCBI)

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