Horizontal antigen retrieval

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for enhancing immunoreactivity of a tissue or cell sample fixed in a fixing medium, a target retrieval composition and its use. The method comprises providing a carrier in a horizontal position, said carrier having thereon a tissue or cell sample, said tissue or cell sample being on top of the carrier; contacting substantially the tissue or cell sample side of the carrier with a buffered target retrieval solution, wherein the target retrieval solution remains otherwise exposed to the environment; heating the tissue or cell sample and the target retrieval solution to a temperature above 100° C. The invention furthermore concerns the automated immunohistochemical staining of said samples, in particular the reactivation of antigens masked by fixation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.