Description Discover a new workflow that enables you to effectively combine H&E staining with mIF InSituPlex^® assays and avoid the heat-induced epitope retrieval (HIER) steps that are the root cause of altered H&E staining. We present data showing co-registration of H&E and mIF images with sub-micron accuracy, enabling highly accurate molecular characterization and cellular phenotyping.

Description We present a highly scalable, cost-effective, and reliable AI workflow built with a combination of OMERO Plus, PathViewer, AWS SageMaker, and Ultivue software to efficiently manage mIF big data for digital pathology.

Description Our poster presents a simple, rapid, and robust workflow for performing Ultivue InSituPlex^® mIF assays with OmniVUE^™ panels on the Parhelia Omni-Stainer^™. Tight slide temperature control and lower volume reagent used by the Omni-Stainer^™ supports consistent, high performance, high throughput whole slide multiplexed biomarker detection for translational and clinical studies.

Description We introduce UltiAnalyzer.AI^™, a software tool that integrates a set of artificial intelligence (AI) models designed for fully automatic, highly accurate, highly efficient, and fully scalable whole-slide mIF analysis. By utilizing the wide dynamic range of Ultivue’s InSituPlex^® technology and cloud computing capabilities, this tool increases the robustness, reproducibility, and throughput of mIF analysis in digital pathology.

Description Though widely recognized that mIF assays have critical implications for clinical translation, validation of mIF staining that allows for flexibility in biomarker selection is a barrier for mIF integration into clinical practice. Join Yvette Cajigas and Angela Vasaturo, experts in assay development and biomarker strategy, and learn about a simple approach to evaluate sensitivity and reproducibility – without sacrificing the flexibility needed to answer biological questions required for evaluating specific treatment options. Take a deep dive into the world of multiplex immunofluorescence and see first-hand how Ultivue’s OmniVUE^™ panels use its patented InSituPlex^® technology to advance precision therapies in clinical trials.

Description A persistent challenge in the field of immunotherapy is the fact that only a minority of patients respond to treatment. This is especially true for therapies which rely on immune activation, such as checkpoint inhibitors, due to the complex and heterogeneous immune escape mechanisms which can develop in each patient. Therefore, the development of robust biomarkers, which enable rational patient selection and the design of precise combination therapies, is key for the continued success and improvement of cancer treatments. Multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) has emerged to complement the conventional IHC by providing highly reproducible, efficient, quantitative, and standardized assays for the analysis of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples. The simultaneous antibody-based detection of multiple markers on a single tissue section can address the low tissue availability from precious and rare donors, establishing mIF as an important assay in the study of the tumor microenvironment and one which can help to maximize the opportunity for patients to benefit from personalized immunotherapies. To enable the transition of mIF assays into clinical applications, a flexible, easy- to- use, and reproducible assay is needed to identify predictive biomarkers. Multiplex immunofluorescence gives researchers the opportunity to study the spatial relationships in the tumor microenvironment, providing access to a wealth of data and information about its immune contexture. The purpose of this presentation is to convey to scientists and pathologists the reasons why reproducible assays are essential for biomarker discovery during clinical trials, how multiplex mIF assays are a great tool for immune profiling the tumor microenvironment, and how spatial tissue analysis can help to make data-driven decisions.

Description Immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of metastatic and recurrent solid tumors. Advances in technology in the past few years have created unprecedented opportunities to identify biomarkers of disease processes, especially by using multi-omics technologies and datasets to derive valid and useful signatures of disease. Despite these advances, today only a minority of patients respond to immunotherapies. Prediction of response to therapies such as checkpoint inhibitors that rely on activation of endogenous immune responses has been shown to be especially difficult due to complex and heterogeneous immune escape mechanisms in each patient. Increasing evidence suggests that measurement of robust biomarkers through spatial analysis of the tissue will be key to enable rational patient selection for an improved clinical trial process and design precise combination therapies. The urgency to discover and implement new biomarkers lays bare the need to integrate a variety of advanced tools to probe the dynamic nature of events happening in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Recently, technology updates integrating the use of multiplex immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence (mIHC/IF) provides much needed insight into cellular composition, cellular functions, and cell-cell interactions. Importantly, recent studies have used mIHC/IF to explore specific immune cells as part of the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) and found that it is helpful for clinical prognosis and efficacy prediction in patients with cancer. In this presentation we will show a streamlined unique workflow supporting whole slide imaging of an 8-plex mIF and traditional same slide H&E fusion on a single tissue slide for a comprehensive tissue immunophenotyping analysis.

Description Immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of metastatic and recurrent solid tumors but is challenged in that only a minority of patients respond, especially those therapies that rely on immune activation such as checkpoint inhibitors due to the complex and heterogeneous immune escape mechanisms which can develop in each patient. Therefore, the development of robust biomarkers, enabling rational patient selection and the design of precise combination therapies, is key for the continued success and improvement afforded by this valuable treatment. Overview of what is addressed: Why spatial relationships are important in tumor biology. Examine specific cell clustering, dispersion, and co-localization. To better understand the biology within tissues with a quantitative summary of the regions and phenotypes present.

Description Immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of metastatic and recurrent solid tumors but is challenged in that only a minority of patients respond, especially those therapies that rely on immune activation such as checkpoint inhibitors due to the complex and heterogeneous immune escape mechanisms which can develop in each patient. Therefore, the development of robust biomarkers, enabling rational patient selection and the design of precise combination therapies, is key for the continued success and improvement afforded by this valuable treatment. Overview of what is addressed: Why spatial relationships are important in tumor biology. Examine specific cell clustering, dispersion, and co-localization. To better understand the biology within tissues with a quantitative summary of the regions and phenotypes present.

Description Developing a multiplex immunofluorescence assay for the in depth characterization of activatedT cells in tumor tissue samples.

Description Immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of metastatic and recurrent solid tumors but is challenged in that only a minority of patients respond, especially those therapies that rely on immune activation such as checkpoint inhibitors due to the complex and heterogeneous immune escape mechanisms which can develop in each patient. Therefore, the development of robust biomarkers, enabling rational patient selection and the design of precise combination therapies, is key for the continued success and improvement afforded by this valuable treatment. Overview of what is addressed: Why spatial relationships are important in tumor biology. Examine specific cell clustering, dispersion, and co-localization. To better understand the biology within tissues with a quantitative summary of the regions and phenotypes present.

Description Immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of metastatic and recurrent solid tumors but is challenged in that only a minority of patients respond, especially those therapies that rely on immune activation such as checkpoint inhibitors due to the complex and heterogeneous immune escape mechanisms which can develop in each patient. Therefore, the development of robust biomarkers, enabling rational patient selection and the design of precise combination therapies, is key for the continued success and improvement afforded by this valuable treatment. Overview of what is addressed: Why spatial relationships are important in tumor biology. Examine specific cell clustering, dispersion, and co-localization. To better understand the biology within tissues with a quantitative summary of the regions and phenotypes present.

Description Marie Cumberbatch from TriStar Technology Group presented a poster of collaborative work between TriStar, Ultivue, and OracleBio at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2022 over the weekend. The work involved multiplex IF staining and analysis of multi-tumor tissue microarrays, with this poster focusing on the contribution of macrophages to the overall tumor PD-L1 microenvironment across different cancer types. Such target prevalence data can help guide options for successful immunotherapy strategies.

Description Inhibitors of the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) signaling axis are approved to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, most NSCLC patients do not respond to PD-(L)1 blockade as single agents, and intratumoral immune infiltrates involved in the response to these therapies remain poorly characterized. There remains a significant need to understand the biology of response and resistance and the role of infiltrating immune cells. Recent studies have suggested an association between increased B cell infiltration, along with the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) and improved response to immunotherapy in tumors from melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma, and renal cell carcinoma patients. Herein, the webinar will discuss whether intratumoral B cells are beneficial specifically in the context of PD-(L)1 blockade or are a general marker of a better prognosis in metastatic NSCLC.