What are the limitations of BrdU?

The main drawback of the BrdU method is that BrdU antibodies can only bind to single-stranded DNA, as double-stranded DNA prevents the antibodies from reaching the BrdU molecules that have been integrated. This means that samples need to be treated with harsh chemicals to separate the DNA strands. Thus, it increases the time needed to complete the assay and can also lead to damage to the sample’s structure.