The Antigen Retrieval technique is a novel method for the rescue of antigens from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. It consists of heating sections in a microwave oven in the presence of an antigen retrieval solution. The quality of the staining result is largely dependent on strict adherence to the antigen retrieval protocol. If the antigens are incompletely retrieved, the staining is light and the background may be high. A user following the standard protocol outlined on page 2 will see crisp, clear staining with little or no background.