Webinars

There is an increasing need to evaluate and understand unique phenotypes and mechanisms of action within the tissue tumor microenvironment. Conventional assays such as chromogenic immunohistochemistry (IHC) allow researchers to rapidly evaluate biomarker expression and staining patterns. Chromogenic IHC is often limited to single-marker same-slide staining, thus the need to stain multiple serial sections. This leads to a lack of proper cell phenotyping and spatial relationship mapping.

In translational oncology research, understanding and evaluating the phenotypic profiles of cells in the tumor immune microenvironment can yield deeper understanding into the complex interactions within the immunological landscape of the tumor. Multiplex immunofluorescence can study this interplay through rapid identification, quantification, and mapping of many cell types. Having the flexibility to look for specific biological markers and their co-localization within this environment allows researchers to better understand the mechanisms of action for compounds of interest.

In this exciting webinar co-hosted by GEN and Clinical OMICs, we explored the intratumoral administration of autologous, non-manipulated myeloid dendritic cells in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with advanced solid tumors and in combination with the oncolytic virus talimogene laherparepvec (Imlygic®) in patients with advanced melanoma in phase I clinical trials. Additionally, we heard how on-treatment biopsies are analyzed for cellular changes with immunohistochemistry and multiplexed immunofluorescence, which could serve as a surrogate biomarker.

Broadcast via The Pathologist, November 2020. Multiplex staining and image analysis are being increasingly deployed for immuno-oncology (I/O) evaluations to investigate and unravel the complexity of immune cell/tumor cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and in discovering novel predictive biomarkers for targeted immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment, guided by PD-L1 and PD-1 tissue expression assessed by immunohistochemistry, has already shown to improve outcomes for non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) metastatic patients. During this webinar, we’ll present a workflow utilizing an 8-plex staining protocol and detailed image analysis approach for the comprehensive assessment of the immune cell types and interactions within the TME, including co-localization and spatial phenotyping analysis in NSCLC and CRC tumor types.

Targeting of the programmed cell death protein (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis with checkpoint inhibitors has changed clinical practice in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, clinical assessment remains complex and ambiguous. During this webinar, Matt Humphries from the Patrick G Johnson Centre for Cancer Research at Queens University, Belfast will discuss results presented in a recently published paper in the journal Cancers, “Improving the Diagnostic Accuracy of the PD-L1 Test with Image Analysis and Multiplex Hybridization.” In this study, the authors assessed whether the application of digital image analysis (DIA) and multiplex immunofluorescence to digital PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) slides has the potential to improve the accuracy and reproducibility of PD-L1 diagnostic tests.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors promote anti-tumor immune responses by enhancing T-cell activity. Measuring the pharmacodynamic effects of these drug types presents a challenge as both the immune and cancer cell populations must be separated and assessed individually. Using a quantitative multiplex immunofluorescence assay (mIF) allows for in-depth cell phenotype characterization and spatial context. Researchers at Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research developed a robust mIF assay with InSituPlex® technology to better investigate T-cell activation states within the tumor microenvironment and across multiple patient tumor biopsies.

Multiplex fluorescence immunohistochemistry offers a window into the biology of human disease. However, the multiplexing capabilities of fluorescence IHC are subject to several technical challenges. This webinar will provide insight and examples of how the Ultivue InSituplex platform may be used to address several of the current challenges associated with multiplex fluorescence immunohistochemistry.