DATE: October 2, 2018
TIME: 9:00AM PDT

Understanding the role of distinct cellular phenotypes in tissue function, development, and pathogenesis requires tools that can rapidly and consistently quantify the expression of multiple proteins while preserving spatial information. Multiplexed Ion Beam Imaging by Time-Of-Flight (MIBI-TOF) detects elements from hydrogen to uranium, permitting simultaneous measurement of up to 42 labeled antibodies along with histochemical stains and native biological elements. We recently used this capability to analyze infiltrating immune cell populations in archival formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue sections from 42 triple negative breast cancer patients. Spatial enrichment analysis showed immune mixed and compartmentalized tumors, coinciding with expression of PD1, PD-L1 and IDO in a cell-type and location-specific manner. Ordered immune structures along the tumor-immune border served as a hallmark of compartmentalization and were linked to survival. We are currently working to build upon this initial effort to develop scoring mechanisms for guiding immune therapy drug selection.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn how MIBI technology enables simultaneous imaging of 40+ markers in FFPE tissue.
• Learn how tumor expression and immune composition are interrelated with histological context that correlates with overall survival in TNBC