Need to increase sensitivity due to low abundance target
Maximizing the sensitivity of methods aimed at the cellular localization of proteins and nucleic acids is of particular importance when target levels are known or suspected to be low. Application of TSA may reveal localized targets previously undetectable and therefore unsuspected. An achieved increase in sensitivity is a primary reasons TSA users cite addition of the technology into their protocols.

Need to conserve antibody or probe
Application of TSA may be beneficial even when an increase in sensitivity is not required. Typically, the same level of sensitivity can be achieved with a significant reduction in the amount of target antibody or probe used.

IHC of EBV antigen in Hodgkin's Lymphoma of mixed cellularity. Courtesy of R. Von Wasielewski and S. Gignac, Pathologisches Institut de Medizinischen Hochscule, Hannover, Germany.

    Anti-EBV dilution is 1:25.        Anti-EBV dilution is 1:25,000.  Enhanced by TSA.  

Multi-target detection in the same sample
TSA product systems have been designed to allow utilization of various chromogens or fluorophores. This flexibility facilitates applications in which multi-target detection in the same sample is of interest.

Detection of Arg-Vasopressin
and Oxytocin in Rat Brain using
TSA-Cyanine 3 and 
TSA-Cyanine 5, respectively.