Publisher Summary This chapter emphasizes the importance of basic research on the alpha–
fetoprotein (AFP) phenomenon; such studies, aimed to decipher its nature, contribute to the
understanding of both normal ontogenesis and pathogenesis of tumors. An essential task in
this respect is to elucidate factors that control AFP production during the embryonic period of
ontogenesis and resumption of its synthesis in tumors. AFP is detected by an agar-gel
immunoprecipitation technique, which is, however, inferior to some other immunologic …