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Immunohistochemistry IHC Techniques for Differentiating Cancers and Diseases

Best and easiest methods to distinguish diseases and tumor types Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a technique used to diagnose, or even differentiate, different types of cancers or other diseases. This lab test uses fluorescently dyed antibodies to selectively test for specific...

by | Mar 1, 2023

Best and easiest methods to distinguish diseases and tumor types

immunohistochemistry

Immunohistochemistry is used to diagnose diseases using fluorescent dyes to selectively test for specific antigens in a tissue sample.

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a technique used to diagnose, or even differentiate, different types of cancers or other diseases. This lab test uses fluorescently dyed antibodies to selectively test for specific antigens in a tissue sample. When an antigen gets bound by an antibody the dye is activated allowing the antigen to easily be found under a microscope.

Many diseases appear similar when viewed under a microscope and one of the best and easiest ways to distinguish them is to identify specific molecules on a cell that can act as a marker. Using immunohistochemistry techniques, these markers can easily be found and the correct disease identified.

In addition to diagnosing diseases, IHC can also be used in drug development, biological research, and confirming prior diagnoses. In tumors, IHC is used for diagnosing whether it is malignant or benign, the stage, the origin, and more.

Staining and viewing IHC slides under a microscope used to be an individual job done one slide at a time. With recent technological advancements, the process has become more automated and many slides can be viewed at once.

Below are some of our more recent requests.

Are you a medical facility or physician’s office needing Histology Laboratories to perform IHC differentiations? Contact Us for more information or Submit an IHC Laboratory Request

Author

  • Amanda Stellwag is a senior Journalism student at Rutgers University New Brunswick and a valuable contributor to the Contract Laboratory and OUTSOURCE! editorial team.

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