The fluorescent antibody method in medical and biological research

The introduction by A. H. Coons of the fluorescent antibody method for the localization and identification of antigens has been followed, over the last ten years, by numerous applications of this technique to various fields of biology and medicine. Owing to its relative simplicity, this immunohistochemical method has proved easily adaptable to diagnostic procedures as well as to more fundamental studies of bacterial and viral pathogenesis. It also proved to be of value in the pathogenetic studies of the so-called collagen diseases.The immunofluorescent method is not a quantitative one and is 20 000 times less sensitive than the radioautographic technique; however, it is superior in its capacity for the specific localization of antigens and antibodies in tissue sections.The method has some limitations, such as non-specific staining or poor contrast with some of the tissues showing autofluorescence, but experience has shown that, when applied and interpreted critically, it can render services to medical investigators throughout the world.