ABSTRACT
Immunohistochemistry has contributed to our understanding of cell attachment, embryological development, cancer and metastases and some pathological conditions. A great deal of evidence demonstrates that immunohistochemistry is a valuable tool to investigate adhesion molecule expression and spatial distribution in both normal physiology and pathophysiology. Importantly, the critical role of adhesion molecules in development has been elucidated, in part, by immunohistochemical techniques. Cancer development, infl ammation and acute renal failure are useful examples of this methodology in dissecting the contribution of adhesion molecules to pathophysiology. While several important questions have been addressed, the techniques are still limited by antibody specifi city. However, progress in epitope unmasking has signifi cantly advanced the fi eld, as well as the development of more sensitive fl uorescence-based detection. In addition, the ability to perform co-localization of molecules has proven to be a major advance that has facilitated the understanding of the indispensable involvement of adhesion molecules in normal and disease states.
