The Use of Combined Immunohistochemical Labeling and In Situ Hybridization to Colocalize mRNA and Protein in Tissue Sections

This chapter explores the combination of a nonradioactive in situ hybridization technique to detect mRNA with an imunnohistochemical labeling technique for use in formalin- fixed, paraffin-embedded, or frozen tissue sections. This technique allows the combination of detecting mRNA by in situ hybridization with immunohistochemical detection of a protein product or a cell surface marker without using any radioactive procedures. This technique is ideal for use on tissue sections when the aim is to identify which cells are producing a secreted protein product, such as a cytokine.