Whitepaper: IHC/ICC Protocol Guide

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunocytochemistry (ICC) are techniques employed to localize antigen expression and are dependent on specific epitope-antibody interactions.

IHC refers to the use of tissue sections, whereas ICC describes the use of cultured cells or cell suspensions. In both methods, positive staining is visualized using a molecular label, which can be fluorescent or chromogenic. Briefly, samples are fixed to preserve cellular integrity and then subjected to incubation with blocking reagents to prevent non-specific binding of the antibodies. Samples are subsequently incubated with primary and secondary antibodies, and the signal is visualized for microscopic analysis.