Abstract 5501: Novel whole slide imaging modes for imaging mass cytometry unveil extensive cellular heterogeneity in human glioma
Authors: Zabinyakov Nick , Raza Qanber , Pfister Thomas D. , Parsotam Nikesh , Howell David , Lim Liang , Loh Christina 
Published: March 2024

Gliomas present a complex form of cancer that is challenging to diagnose and treat, with a median survival of just over one year after diagnosis for primary glioblastoma (GBM). GBM can occur as multi-lesion, remote, or diffuse tumors, and often contains a tumor microenvironment (TME) that is devoid of peripheral immune cells. Additional hallmark features of GBM include necrosis, hemorrhage, and pseudo palisades, making it a highly heterogeneous disease requiring further investigation. Identification of the cellular and spatial level composition of the TME is vital for interpretation of GBM disease origin, progression, prediction, and treatment.

A 40-plus-marker neuro-oncology Imaging Mass Cytometry™ (IMC™) antibody panel was used to determine the cellular and structural landscape of the brain TME. We applied the panel on a tissue microarray (TMA) containing dozens of human glioma cores and uncovered the spatial distribution of over 40 distinct molecular markers. We performed imaging using two new features of the Hyperion XTi™ Imaging System that provide whole slide scanning capabilities. Ultrafast preview mode was applied to rapidly screen tumor cores for expression signatures associated with tumor immuno-oncology processes. This enabled biomarker-guided selection of areas in tumor tissue that were imaged at higher resolution and analyzed using single-cell analysis. In parallel, a high-throughput tissue mode was applied to perform a detailed scan of the brain tumor TMA followed by pixel-based analysis to unravel the spatial composition of the TME.

Using tissue mode imaging, we successfully mapped the spatial location of cell populations making up human gliomas, such as neurons, astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes, across the entire TMA. Various tumor cell phenotypes, resident and infiltrating cells, and resting and activated microglia were detected across all TMA cores. Subsequent single-cell analysis of select regions of interest provided a quantitative assessment of the cellular composition of the brain TME. We classified the distinct states of neurons and quantified myeloid and lymphoid immune cell infiltration across normal, astrocytoma, and GBM tissues. Striking cellular and protein heterogeneity was observed between acquired cores, indicating the complexity of each case that is impossible to capture with low-plex visualization techniques. Therefore, IMC is a highly relevant tool capable of quantitative spatial evaluation of the high-plex protein composition in the brain TME without the complications of autofluorescence, tissue degradation, and spectral overlap. Empowered by the neuro-oncology panel and new whole slide imaging modes, IMC accelerates neurological research and provides insights into the spatial complexity of gliomas and other tumors.

For research purpose only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Citation Format: Nick Zabinyakov, Qanber Raza, Thomas D. Pfister, Nikesh Parsotam, David Howell, Liang Lim, Christina Loh. Novel whole slide imaging modes for imaging mass cytometry unveil extensive cellular heterogeneity in human glioma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5501.