What counterstain do you use?

We use a counterstain, called Acid Blue 129, that our team developed several years ago (Zehntner et al., J. Histochem. Cytochem., 56: 873-880, 2008; doi:10.1369/jhc.2008.950345). This stain has a homogenous light blue background that provides excellent contrast to the red-brown chromogen and is well-suited for image segmentation and quantitative analysis.

Which chromogen do you use?

We typically use AEC for our IHC studies. This chromogen provides a crisp, strong red-brown color and does not have the toxicity associate with DAB.

What type of antigen retrieval do you use?

The antigen retrieval method really depends on the particular stain/antibody. For example, for phosphorylated α-synuclein, we use proteinase K pre-treatment. For β-amyloid, we use formic acid pre-treatment. For many stains, we use heat-induced epitope retrieval (HIER) using various buffers.

Immunohistochemistry - Histology & Tissue Analysis

Two brain cross-sections stained for Myelin Basic Protein (MBP), used in studying demyelination in a cuprizone mouse model of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), with varying levels of myelin indicated by the staining intensity

Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) serves as a pivotal technique in preclinical research in CNS diseases, providing invaluable insights into the localization, distribution, and expression of specific proteins within the tissue. This method utilizes antibodies tagged with reporters to selectively bind to target proteins, enabling their visualization and quantification.

In studies investigating neurodegenerative disorders, IHC aids in identifying key biomarkers, detecting aberrant protein expression, and elucidating signaling pathways or cellular mechanisms underlying these conditions.

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of the mouse substantia nigra

At Biospective, our lab is equipped with multiple IHC autostainers to ensure high efficiency, reproducibility, and throughput.

We have well-established markers for our CNS disease rodent models. We also have a dedicated R&D team that consists of scientists and technicians who are experts in developing optimized IHC staining protocols.

Learn more about our Immunohistochemistry (IHC) Services.

Discover more of our Histology & Tissue Analysis Services

Which chromogen does Biospective use?

What type of antigen retrieval does Biospective use?

Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

We perform high-quality IHC studies using a range of markers tailored to our CNS disease models.

Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

Discover more of our Histology & Tissue Analysis Services

Tissue Preparation

Multiplex Immunofluorescence (IF)

Slide Scanning

Quantitative Digital Image Analysis

Spatial Biology

More Information

Let us know what you’re interested in. Our team will be happy to discuss with you!