Immunohistochemistry Platform

Comprehensive IHC antibody library, reporter molecules, and diagnostic panels for precision pathology

16 Validated Antibodies
•
11 Reporter Molecules
•
7 Diagnostic Panels
16

Total Antibodies

15 monoclonal, 1 polyclonal

16

Validated Antibodies

Clinical-grade reagents

11

Reporter Molecules

Fluorophores & chromogens

7

Diagnostic Panels

Disease-specific markers

Immunohistochemistry Principles

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a powerful technique that uses antibodies to detect specific antigens (proteins) in tissue sections. IHC combines anatomical, immunological, and biochemical techniques to identify specific tissue components by the interaction of target antigens with specific antibodies tagged with a visible label.

IHC Workflow

  1. 1.Tissue Preparation: Fixation (formalin), embedding (paraffin), sectioning (4-5 µm)
  2. 2.Antigen Retrieval: Heat-induced (pressure cooker) or enzymatic to expose epitopes
  3. 3.Blocking: Prevent non-specific binding with serum or protein block
  4. 4.Primary Antibody: Incubate with target-specific antibody (1-24 hours)
  5. 5.Secondary Detection: Labeled secondary antibody or detection system
  6. 6.Visualization: Chromogen (DAB) or fluorophore detection
  7. 7.Counterstaining: Hematoxylin (nucleus) for chromogenic IHC

Clinical Applications

  • Cancer Diagnosis: Tumor classification, subtyping, and differentiation
  • Prognostic Markers: Ki-67 proliferation, hormone receptors, HER2 status
  • Predictive Biomarkers: ER/PR for hormone therapy, HER2 for trastuzumab, PD-L1 for immunotherapy
  • Infectious Disease: Bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic antigen detection
  • Tissue Origin: Identifying primary site in metastatic cancer
  • Research: Protein localization, expression patterns, pathway analysis

Quality Control & Validation

Positive Controls

Tissues known to express target antigen at high levels

Negative Controls

Omit primary antibody or use isotype control to assess non-specific staining

Internal Controls

Normal tissue within specimen with known antigen expression

Chemical Inhibitors in Cancer Research

IHC plays a crucial role in validating drug targets and assessing pharmacodynamic effects of chemical inhibitors. Here are FDA-approved targeted therapies where IHC is essential:

Imatinib (Gleevec)

Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor

Targets: BCR-ABL, KIT, PDGFR

Use: First-line therapy for CML, transformed CML from fatal to chronic disease. Also treats KIT-mutant GIST.

Erlotinib (Tarceva)

EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor

Targets: EGFR

Use: Treats EGFR exon 19 deletion or L858R mutation-positive NSCLC. Superior to chemotherapy in first-line.

Bortezomib (Velcade)

Proteasome Inhibitor

Targets: 26S proteasome

Use: Standard therapy for multiple myeloma. First proteasome inhibitor approved. Part of multi-drug regimens.

Vorinostat (Zolinza)

HDAC Inhibitor

Targets: Histone Deacetylases (Class I, II, IV)

Use: First HDAC inhibitor approved. Treats progressive/persistent CTCL after two systemic therapies.