Used as a heat-induced antigen retriever on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections prior to application of antibodies.

In immunohistochemistry (IHC), most commonly used fixatives such as formalin mask tissue antigens (cellular, membrane, and nuclear) by their intrinsic crosslinking. This masking results in poor or no staining in IHC. The use of EDTA buffer, pH 8,5, or other antigen retrieval solutions on FFPE tissue sections improves accessibility of antibodies to tissue antigens. EDTA buffer has been used to heat tissue sections in order to visualise antigens by immunohistochemical analysis.