IONpath and Bristol Myers Squibb Co-Author Article in Laboratory Investigation on Multiplexed Ion Beam Imaging for Tumor Microenvironment Characterization

MENLO PARK, Calif., April 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- IONpath, Inc. today announced that the company and Bristol-Myers Squibb co-authored an article titled “Multiplexed Ion Beam Imaging (MIBI) for Characterization of the Tumor Microenvironment Across Tumor Types"Characterization of Different Tumor Microenvironments by Multiplexed Ion Beam Imaging (MIBI)"

The ability to characterize all cells within a tumor by simultaneously distinguishing multiple cell types in a single tissue section is limited by existing technologies. In this new article, the authors demonstrate how Multiplexed Ion Beam Imaging (MIBI™) can provide detailed characterization of various tumors by enabling cell phenotypic identification and analysis of their spatial relationships. To this end, Bristol-Myers Squibb provided Ionpath with 50 tumor biopsy samples, which were simultaneously stained with 15 antibodies, each labeled with a specific metal isotope. Highly detailed imaging of the tumor microenvironment facilitated immune cell typing through a multi-step process that segmented the samples into individual cells.^(Figure1）and spatial organization^(Figure2）。

This information is collected to observe the characteristics of relevant samples. However, this new level of cellular-resolution tumor imaging may have profound implications. Scientists and drug developers can now measure the proximity of immune cells to cancer cells, as well as protein expression levels of potential drug targets and other variables associated with certain therapies (such as immune checkpoint inhibitors) within the same sample.

Director of the Department of Pathology, one of the authorsDr. Jessica Finn stated, “IONpath’s mission is to support medical discovery, particularly in the field of immuno-oncology, ranging from tumor microenvironment characterization to cell-level discoveries.” Dr. Finn added, “Examining these intricate, interconnected structures is challenging but crucial in the effort to treat certain types of cancer.”

As an example of how Ionpath’s mission may influence real-world decisions, this study demonstrates the feasibility of calculating distances between distinct cell subpopulations, including tumor and immune cells, beyond merely assessing PD-1 and PD-L1 expression on immune cell subsets. Further research in this area could support the immuno-oncology field in achieving better outcomes.

Discover how IONpath supports customers and partners in data review through MIBItracker™, a web-based visualization platform.To accessMIBItracker™Platform, please click this link.