Abstract LB333: Improved spatially resolved single-cell transcriptomic imaging in archival tissues with MERSCOPE
Authors: He Jiang , Wang Bin , He Justin , Chen Renchao , Patterson Benjamin , Tattikota Sudhir , Wiggin Timothy , Maziashvili Lizi , Reinhold Peter , Ray Manisha , Emanuel George 
Published: April 2024

The advent of spatial transcriptomics has enabled a revolution in how complex tissues are studied. However, samples with lower quality RNA due to degradation, protein crosslinking, or high RNase content remain challenging for spatial transcriptomic measurement. In particular, formalin fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues are the most widely used sample types in clinical and molecular diagnosis, yet they are notoriously difficult for single-cell transcriptomic analysis. To accurately profile the gene expression in FFPE samples in situ, a spatial transcriptomics technique with high detection efficiency and single molecule resolution is required. The Vizgen® MERSCOPE® Platform for spatial genomics is built on Multiplexed Error Robust in situ Hybridization (MERFISH) technology and directly profiles the transcriptome of intact tissues with high sensitivity in high-quality samples. Here we present an updated workflow to perform MERFISH in low and high-quality samples. We demonstrated its application in more than 5 FFPE sample types from mouse and human, including archival samples.

For each tissue type, hundreds of thousands of cells were captured using the updated MERSCOPE Platform workflow, generating 100s million counts and their spatial information for profiled genes in each sample. The updated workflow involves streamlined sample preparation and chemistry optimization to improve sensitivity. MERSCOPE accurately profiled gene expression in situ and mapped cell types in archival human samples across a range of low and high RNA qualities. We compared the performance of MERSCOPE imaging using the updated protocol to the previous version and observed a significant increase in gene counts per 100 micron2 of tissue. We also demonstrated increased reproducibility between replicates with the streamlined workflow and chemistry. Furthermore, we demonstrated the updated workflow is compatible with simultaneous protein-based cell boundary staining. Finally, we constructed a spatially resolved single-cell atlas across low-quality archival breast and lung tumor types, mapped and cataloged different cell types within the tumor microenvironment, and systematically characterized the gene expression among cells.

Spatially resolved transcriptomic profiling of low-quality samples at single-cell level provides enormous opportunities in cancer research. These improvements will enable new genomic inquiries into previously intractable tissues like FFPE, leading to new biological insights into cancer progression.

Citation Format: Jiang He, Bin Wang, Justin He, Renchao Chen, Benjamin Patterson, Sudhir Tattikota, Timothy Wiggin, Lizi Maziashvili, Peter Reinhold, Manisha Ray, George Emanuel. Improved spatially resolved single-cell transcriptomic imaging in archival tissues with MERSCOPE [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(7_Suppl):Abstract nr LB333.