What Techniques are Used to Study the Caspase Cascade in Histology?
Several techniques are employed to study the caspase cascade in histological samples:
- Immunohistochemistry (IHC): This technique uses antibodies to detect active caspases in tissue sections, providing spatial information about apoptosis within tissues. - TUNEL Assay: The TUNEL (Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling) assay detects DNA fragmentation, a hallmark of apoptosis, indicating caspase activity. - Western Blotting: This technique can detect cleaved (active) forms of caspases in tissue extracts, providing a quantitative measure of apoptosis.
