2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer (ePosters)-EP16.04-003. High Dimensional Spatial Profiling of the NSCLC Tumour Microenvironment

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Researchers from Akoya Biosciences and the University of Queensland have developed a high-dimensional spatial profiling method to study the tumor microenvironment (TME) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The study aimed to identify predictive biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. The researchers used ultra-high plex immunofluorescence imaging to characterize multiple T-cell lineages and immune markers across 57 biomarkers with single-cell resolution. The study revealed insights into the TME and identified unique cellular subtypes and localizations. Importantly, the study demonstrated the utility of high-plex profiling from a single tissue section, eliminating the need for multiple panels and serial sections. The results suggest that spatial phenotyping of the immune landscape can reveal cell types and spatial signatures associated with immunotherapy outcomes. <br /><br />The researchers also developed an automated benchtop system, called the PhenoCycler-Fusion, for ultrahigh-plex immunofluorescence imaging. This system integrates with the PhenoImager Fusion for end-to-end spatial imaging at high resolution and with rapid turnaround time. The researchers analyzed a dataset from a clinical trial of the immune checkpoint inhibitor Nivolumab. The study demonstrated the reliability of the data across different tissue cohorts and collection sites. The researchers found that high-plex analysis of the TME can provide new insights into therapy resistance and sensitivity. They concluded that identifying biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy prior to treatment can improve outcomes for NSCLC patients. Overall, the study highlights the power of deep, single-cell spatial phenotyping to uncover the complexities of tumor heterogeneity and aid in understanding clinical response and therapeutic resistance. The researchers emphasize the need for additional and more predictive biomarkers of response to immunotherapy and propose spatial phenotyping as a solution to this unmet clinical need.

Asset Subtitle

Arutha Kulasinghe

Meta Tag

Speaker Arutha Kulasinghe

Topic Tumour Biology and Biomarkers - Tumour Biology & Preclinical Studies

Keywords

tumor microenvironment

NSCLC

predictive biomarkers

immune checkpoint blockade therapy

immunofluorescence imaging

T-cell lineages

cellular subtypes

high-plex profiling

spatial phenotyping

therapy resistance