Antigen Restoration—The “Hot” Revolution in Immunohistochemistry

High temperature epitope retrieval (HIER) methods restore protein antigens thought to be inaccessible, and they have had a dramatically positive effect on immunohistochemistry. HIER's extensive use by different investigators has resulted in an array of modifications, most of which enhance the original method. However, lack of standardization of these methods makes it imperative that users of HIER techniques be fully cognizant of the diversity of approaches and their shortcomings. (The J Histotechnol 24:193, 2001)