Advanced Phenotyping of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment

Immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of metastatic and recurrent solid tumors but is challenging in that only a minority of patients respond. Therapies that rely on immune activation, such as checkpoint inhibitors, have been shown to be especially difficult due to the complex and heterogeneous immune escape mechanisms which can develop in each patient. Therefore, development of robust biomarkers coupled with spatial analysis of tissue is key for enabling rational patient selection and the design of precise combination therapies.

The use of multiplex immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence (mIHC/IF) provides much needed insight into cellular composition, cellular functions, and cell-cell interactions. Importantly, recent studies have used mIHC/IF to explore specific immune cells as part of the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) and found that it is helpful for clinical prognosis and efficacy prediction in patients with cancer.

In this presentation we will show a streamlined unique workflow supporting whole slide imaging of an 8-plex mIF and H&E fusion on a single tissue slide for a comprehensive tissue immunophenotyping analysis.

Learning objectives:

• The utility of a high throughput, high-plex (Immuno-8) staining and mIF assay development for scientists and clinicians
• Demonstrate how advanced AI-driven image analysis can be applied to discover cell types, populations and morphological context  
• Discuss how whole slide image analysis of the tumor microenvironment can provide insight into specific cancer types