Using multiplex immunofluorescence to predict clinical outcomes in solid tumor cancer

In the era of immuno-oncology, there is a growing need for the identification of new biomarkers predictive for sensitivity to anti-PD1 and/or anti-PDL1 therapies, each single or in combination with innovative drugs. While the tumoral PDL1 expression and MSI-high status are the sole approved biomarkers in Europe, they nevertheless remain imperfect tools sometimes failing in predicting treatment sensitivity. In a recent collaborative work supervised by Pr A. Italiano and published in Nature Cancer, we highlighted that the presence of mature tertiary lymphoid structures (mTLS) – a structure of prominent B cell follicles and follicular dendritic cells adjoined to a CD4/CD8 T cell-containing zone - is a new predictive biomarker of response for immune checkpoint blockers. In this webinar, we will describe how, on large series of tumor samples from patient cohorts, mTLS were captured through the automated application of a multiplexed immunofluorescence panel consisting of CD4, CD8, CD20, CD21, and CD23 markers, and multispectral image acquisition and analysis. Through spatial assessment of key phenotypes within the tumor microenvironment, it was possible to demonstrate that the presence of mature TLSs was associated with improved clinical benefit, paving the way for using spatial phenotyping to select cancer patients who are more likely to benefit from immune checkpoint blockade.

 

Learning Objectives