Gene expression profiling of the tumor microenvironment has proven effective in measuring immune response during research in cancer progression and therapeutic response. Preconfigured quantitative PCR (qPCR) panels containing hundreds of gene targets represent a potential solution, but can require significant time and resources to implement in the laboratory and can be difficult to customize for specific experimental needs.

The Advanta™ IO Gene Expression Assay workflow was designed to meet this need, detecting 170 gene expression markers involved in checkpoint therapeutic response. Ideal for accelerating the identification of potential predictive biomarker signatures of checkpoint immunotherapeutic response, the Advanta IO Gene Expression Assay was developed in collaboration with leading researchers from academia and biopharma to provide the right balance of biomarker breadth, assay flexibility and workflow efficiency.

As an expanded workflow solution, we now offer an optimized Advanta FFPE RNA Extraction Kit, which produces high-quality RNA from precious tumor samples and improves the sensitivity of tumor transcript detection. As an added benefit, a synthetic template representing the amplification targets of all 170 genes is also available as a positive control. When using this new kit and control together with the Advanta IO Gene Expression Assay on the Biomark™ HD system, researchers can accurately assess 24 to 96 tumor samples at a time with high confidence and efficiency.

Completing the workflow, the GO Immuno-Oncology Workbench was developed by GenomOncology to provide powerful, flexible and intuitive analysis of immuno-oncology datasets. Now available from Fluidigm, the GO Immuno-Oncology Workbench enables researchers to unlock new clinical insights from translational immuno-oncology studies, including the identification of meaningful gene expression biomarkers that correlate with therapeutic response.

“The GO Immuno-Oncology Workbench is a powerful software tool that enables comprehensive analysis of immuno-oncology cohorts, integrating molecular and phenotypic data together with immuno-oncology-specific annotations to power translational studies,” said Manuel Glynias, CEO of GenomOncology. “We are excited to see the new insights uncovered using this comprehensive approach, which we we offer in conjunction with Fluidigm to empower the growing immuno-oncology community.”

“Fluidigm is the partner of choice within the immuno-oncology research community, enabling deep interrogation of the tumor microenvironment and immune response with mass cytometry,” said Chris Linthwaite, President and CEO of Fluidigm. “In partnership with GenomOncology, we are expanding our immuno-oncology gene expression offering to the cancer community with a full microfluidics-based workflow solution from RNA extraction to data analysis. By providing a comprehensive view of tumor immunity, utilizing microfluidics and mass cytometry technologies, we are empowering researchers to uncover unique health insights that could transform the future of cancer care.”      

Improving the process

Download our product flyer to learn more about using the Advanta FFPE RNA Extraction Kit to accelerate your investigative research.

The Advanta FFPE RNA Extraction Kit stands apart from other commercial kits by providing:

• A single-tube extraction purification process
• Enhanced safety with xylene-free paraffin removal
• More precious samples are qualified for downstream analysis
• Improved detection during gene expression analysis

Sirona Dx case study

Clinical research services provider Sirona Dx, Inc., based in Vancouver, Washington, performed gene expression analysis of FFPE samples extracted using the Advanta FFPE RNA Extraction Kit and a leading column-based commercial kit. After extraction, the group reverse-transcribed and preamplified the RNA and analyzed the cDNA on Biomark HD using the Advanta IO Gene Expression Assay panel containing 170 unique biomarkers for profiling tumor immunobiology and identification. Gene expression analysis data demonstrated more target gene detection in samples extracted using the Advanta FFPE RNA Extraction Kit. These samples typically showed lower cycle threshold values than those extracted using the alternative kit.

“Sirona Dx specializes in expression profiling of challenging FFPE samples and we welcomed the opportunity to partner with Fluidigm to develop an improved RNA extraction methodology,” said Sirona Dx CEO Nasry Yassa. “To date we have processed several hundred samples with the Advanta FFPE RNA Extraction Kit, and our pharma clients have been astonished by the quality of RNA extracted and delighted at our ability to interrogate more of their precious FFPE samples­.”

Contact us to learn more about the Advanta FFPE RNA Extraction Kit.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Enabling multiparameter profiling of precious samples, mass cytometry has been instrumental in achieving new research breakthroughs in areas such as immunology, cancer immunotherapy, drug discovery, vaccine development and more around the world.

Watch the webinars below to learn how researchers are utilizing Helios™, a CyTOF system, and mass cytometry applications to further their research.

Maximizing Human Immune Monitoring with Mass Cytometry Adeeb Rahman        Assistant Professor     Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai  Michelle Poulin, PhD  Manager, Field Applications Proteomics    Fluidigm  Watch

	Powering Multi-Omic Translational Studies with Mass Cytometry Brice Gaudilliere, MD, PhD  Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology Stanford University School of Medicine Nima Aghaeepour, PhD Assistant Professor Stanford University School of Medicine Watch
	Finding Pathologic T Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis by Mass Cytometry Deepak Rao, MD, PhD  Rheumatologist Co-Director, Human Immunology Center Brigham and Women's Hospital Watch
	Querying Cytokine-Signaling Networks in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Stephen Oh, MD, PhD  Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology  Washington University School of Medicine  Watch
	Enhancing Checkpoint Blockade in Lymphoma with In Situ Vaccination Joshua Brody, MD  Assistant Professor, Hematology and Medical Oncology Director, Lymphoma Immunotherapy Program Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Watch
	Decoding Tumors with Mass Cytometry Jonathan Irish, PhD Assistant Professor of Cancer Biology, Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Vanderbilt University Watch
	Defining the Phenotypic and Functional Immune Microenvironment in AML Evan Lind, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and Department of Cell, Development and Cancer Biology Oregon Health & Science University Watch
	Towards an Assay of Global Immune Competence Holden Maecker, PhD Associate Professor (Research) of Microbiology and Director, Human Immune Monitoring Center Stanford University Watch
	Signatures of Protective NK Cell Responses Catherine Blish, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine Assistant Director of the Stanford Medical Scientist Training Program Watch

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

On April 27, 2018, the mass cytometry community gathered in Prague at the 7th Annual Mass Cytometry Summit to share knowledge, network with colleagues and forge collaborations to further our understanding of the biological bases for health and disease.

Drawing over 200 attendees from around the world, the Summit had an information-rich agenda that included over a dozen scientific presentations and an engaging panel discussion by leading scientists.

Topics included workflow best practices, data analysis methods, new applications and research insights uncovered using mass cytometry and Imaging Mass Cytometry™.

"Some of the best cytometry at CYTO."
— Assistant professor, Summit attendee

“I am inspired by the ways people have used mass cytometry and data analysis. I can see ways to
incorporate these ideas in my own research and the research of others who use my facility.”
— Joseph Slupsky, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool

“Well-organized. Great mix of speakers.” 
— Sylvia Lui, Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research (MCCIR), University of Manchester

“No-brainer. I learn something every year. If you are performing mass cytometry, you need to be here.”
— Evan Jellison, Director Flow Cytometry, University of Connecticut Health Center

“New and practical insights”
— Tomer Meir Salame, Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science

“Great possibility to meet the leaders in the field of mass cytometry.”
— Stanislav Drápela, International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Reveal the molecular signatures of tumor immune response

Tumor gene expression has proven effective in measuring immune response during cancer progression and therapeutic response. As emerging therapies reveal new biomarkers and expand the need for samples, the costs and labor required to complete this important work also rise. Cancer researchers now have a reliable, sensitive and cost-effective toolset for identifying gene expression signatures from immune and cancer cells: the Advanta™ IO Gene Expression Assay, used with the Biomark™ HD system.

A powerful immuno-oncology focused assay

The Advanta IO Gene Expression Assay was developed in collaboration with leading researchers in the biopharmaceutical industry to provide the right balance of biomarker breadth, assay flexibility and workflow efficiency.

The panel consists of 170 genes, including 91 reported in Nature, where Roy Herbst et al. defined a gene set representing tumor and immune response. The panel includes markers for:

• Immune cell identification
• Immune and cancer cell function
• Immune regulation and cell fate
• Checkpoint therapy response

Optimized for FFPE and fresh frozen tumor samples, the Advanta IO Gene Expression Assay uses TaqMan® chemistry to sensitively measure gene expression, with five reference genes serving as analysis controls. Combined with Fluidigm microfluidics technology, the assay uniquely offers significant workflow efficiencies over traditional gene expression profiling methods. Each reaction is miniaturized to nanoliter volume and controlled using precise automation to empower accurate and cost-effective qPCR analysis across a large dynamic range. Since assay introduction into the integrated fluidic circuit (IFC) is under user control, researchers also have the flexibility to add up to 17 new assays or exchange gene assays within the panel to achieve experimental goals—all without affecting the original panel content, protocol or workflow.

DOWNLOAD THE FLYER to learn more about the Advanta IO Gene Expression Assay workflow using the Biomark HD system, and to see the list of gene expression targets covered in the assay.

Sample case study

In a 2016 paper published by The Lancet for the POPLAR study, “Atezolizumab versus docetaxel for patients with previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer,” Louis Fehrenbacher et al. detailed how they “assessed efficacy and safety of atezolizumab versus docetaxel in previously treated NSCLC, analyzed by PD-L1 expression levels on tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells and in the intention-to-treat population.” The team showed that “patients with pre-existing immunity, defined by high T-effector–interferon-γ-associated gene expression, had improved overall survival with atezolizumab.”

Fehrenbacher’s group noted that atezolizumab “significantly improved survival compared with docetaxel in patients with previously treated NSCLC. Improvement correlated with PD-L1 immunohistochemistry expression on tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells,” leading them to conclude: “PD-L1 expression is predictive for atezolizumab benefit. Atezolizumab was well tolerated, with a safety profile distinct from chemotherapy.”

The researchers performed the clinical trial using immunohistochemistry, and also ran a gene expression panel of 91 genes featured in the Herbst paper. These genes are included in the Advanta IO Gene Expression Assay. The team subsequently used these results to develop a gene signature based on a subset of the panel, effectively predicting therapeutic response that provides data that could potentially be used for developing future diagnostics tests.

Achieve greater overall productivity

The Advanta IO Gene Expression Assay is optimized to run on the powerful and flexible Biomark HD system. This automated system enables researchers to easily run from 24 to 96 samples at once with limited hands-on time, while delivering trusted performance. Together with the capability to sensitively detect biomarkers across defined T cell subsets, immune regulation, immune cell fate, cytokines, chemokines and more with exceptional cost-efficiency, this assay offers an ideal solution to meet the rigorous demands of translational research studies.

Ordering Information

Each assay kit contains reagents and assays for preamplification and gene expression, along with IFCs and Control Line Fluid. Assays for the 24.192 IFC are provided in dried-down form. Assays for the 96.96 IFC are provided in liquid form.

Contact us to learn more about the Advanta IO Gene Expression Assay and the Biomark HD system.

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For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

The Hyperion™ Imaging System received first place in The Analytical Scientist Innovation Awards, or TASIAs. Judges named it the top innovation of 2017, commending the platform that “combines tissue imaging with cytometry, allowing correlation between biomarkers and cell interactions. This technology has the potential to be truly transformative.”

Editor Charlotte Barker of The Analytical Scientist said, “Now in year five, The Innovation Awards continue to shine a light on the instruments and technologies that are having a big impact across the analytical sciences. We had a record number of entries this year and the final 15 reflect the full spectrum of analytical advances, from ingenious software for managing impurity data, to transformative MS imaging technology.”

The Hyperion Imaging System has the potential to revolutionize disease research by providing unprecedented visualization of complex cellular phenotypes and their relationships in the context of cancer, immuno-oncology and a range of immune mediated diseases. The potential ability to develop better diagnostics and more effective therapies stands to change the future of health care.

Read the full article in The Analytical Scientist for more on the TASIAs. To learn more about Imaging Mass Cytometry™ and be informed about news and events, fill out the form below.

Sign up to recieve more information about Imaging Mass Cytometry.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Improving care is a mission that drives us all. Translating new discoveries into better clinical outcomes takes dedication and new approaches to asking the most difficult questions. At Fluidigm, we believe that changing the course of how diseases are treated and ultimately cured requires a comprehensive understanding of complex cellular phenotypes and their interrelationships within the tissue microenvironment. To meet this great challenge, we developed the Hyperion™ Imaging System.

“The impact of this first-in-class technology stands to be especially profound in oncology, immunology and immunotherapy research. With more than 30 systems enabled globally, progress in applying this innovative technology to ask new questions across a number of disease research areas is truly impressive .”
—Chris Linthwaite, President and CEO, Fluidigm

The Hyperion Imaging System brings imaging capability together with proven CyTOF® technology to set a new standard in highly multiplexed protein detection. Surpassing the inherent limitations of fluorescence detection, this system enables researchers to simultaneously image 4 to 37 protein markers in tissues and tumors by Imaging Mass Cytometry™. Ideal for deep profiling of precious formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and fresh frozen tissue samples, the Hyperion Imaging System empowers researchers to uncover new biomarker correlations and cellular social networks in the context of the tissue microenvironment—all from a single slide.

As with any new research application, having access to optimized reagents, analytical tools and training is essential for success. We designed the Hyperion Imaging System workflow with this in mind. It is accompanied by a pathologist-verified Maxpar® imaging antibody portfolio, antibody labeling kits, a software suite for image acquisition and data analysis, and experienced Fluidigm service and support. With the ability to utilize up to 135 channels to detect additional parameters, the system is well-suited to meet researchers needs today and well into the future.

A step jump of this magnitude doesn’t happen every day in life sciences. The impact of this first-in-class technology stands to be especially profound in oncology, immunology and immunotherapy research. With more than 30 systems enabled globally, truly impressive progress is being made in applying this innovative technology to ask new questions across a number of disease research areas.

I invite you to join with us and the growing scientific community in powering this revolution in tissue imaging to create breakthroughs today that will enable the development of better diagnostics and more effective therapies for tomorrow.

Sign up to recieve more information about Imaging Mass Cytometry.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Watch the video to learn about the power of Imaging Mass Cytometry.

Hyperion Imaging System

The Hyperion™ Imaging System brings together imaging capability with proven CyTOF® technology to facilitate Imaging Mass Cytometry™ applications. This allows highly multiplexed immunohistochemistry enabling the simultaneous analysis of 4 to 37 protein markers. Deep interrogation of tissues or tumors at subcellular resolution can empower the identification of new prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers and provide key insights into disease progression, response to therapy or drug mechanisms in the future. Discover more about Imaging Mass Cytometry.

For news, updates and more information about Imaging Mass Cytometry and the Hyperion Imaging System, send us your contact details using the form below.

Sign up to recieve more information about Imaging Mass Cytometry.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Mass cytometry is fast becoming an industry standard for deep cellular profiling in translational and clinical research, referenced by hundreds of peer-reviewed publications around the world.

Download this compendium of mass cytometry research applications to hear from six investigators who share how this transformative technology is allowing them to reveal new insights in health and disease. Within this compendium you’ll also find a brief history of mass cytometry, an overview of the technology and information on the high-dimensional data analysis options provided by Cytobank.

We hope you enjoy learning about the unique insights mass cytometry brought to the researchers below in the areas of hematology/oncology, tumor biology, autoimmune disease and basic immunology.

Table of Contents for Insights Powered by Mass Cytometry

	Mass Cytometry for Discovery and Functional Profiling: An Introduction to the Technology Dmitry Bandura Fluidigm
	Unlocking the Potential of Mass Cytometry Sean Bendall Stanford University
	Discovering Normal to Better Understand Abnormal: Searching for an Improved ALL Diagnosis Dr. Kara Davis Stanford University
	Profiling T Cell Diversity in Solid Tumors with Mass Cytometry Dr. Kavita Dhodapkar Yale University School of Medicine
	Understanding Variation in the Human Immune System Dr. Petter Brodin Karolinska Institutet
	Tackling Dynamic Complexity to Understand Immunotherapy Responses in Multiple Sclerosis Sonia Gavasso University of Bergen
	Single-Cell Insights into AML Cancer Biology Dr. Zohar Sachs University of Minnesota
	Mass Cytometry Processing with Cytobank Hannah Polikowsky Cytobank

Thank you for your interest and for providing your contact information.
Fluidigm values your privacy. Read our Privacy Policy here.

Complete the form below to download the Mass Cytometry Compendium

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Every year since 2012, the mass cytometry community has gathered to share its research findings and technical know-how in an atmosphere fostering support and collaboration. On June 9 of this year, the Museum of Science in Boston was the scene for the 6th Annual Mass Cytometry Summit, our largest ever with more than 200 attendees.

Watch a video of mass cytometry users sharing their thoughts on the Summit.

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“The mass cytometry community is very dynamic and people are really open to exchanging ideas and protocols. Initially, most mass cytometry information was coming from the US. Now you can find people interacting all across the globe.”
—Hervé Luche, R&D manager, Centre d'ImmunoPHEnomique, Marseille

Researchers presented talks on topics ranging from new mass cytometry applications to best practices and data analysis approaches. Highlights included Ruth Montgomery from Yale and Stephen Oh from Washington University presenting on their use of mass cytometry in translational studies; Adeeb Rahman from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai presenting his innovative approach for a mass cytometric surrogate of light scatter; and Vinko Tosevski from the University of Zurich sharing his facility’s highly effective workflow for Cytobank data analysis. An informative panel discussion sparked lively audience engagement on integrating mass cytometry services into both academic and pharmaceutical institutions.

Jonathan Irish, PhD, Vanderbilt University, led the panel discussion “Meeting the Challenge of Integrating Mass Cytometry at Your Institution” at the 6th Annual Mass Cytometry Summit. Panelists included, from left to right, Ruth Montgomery, PhD, Yale School of Medicine; Mike Lee, MS, University of California, San Francisco; Carina Torres, BS, Eli Lilly; Mike Leipold, PhD, Stanford University; John Daley, BS, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Scientists from around the world participated, representing top-tier research institutions and major pharmaceutical companies. Attendees interacted and networked during breaks and meals on the banks of the Charles River at the Museum of Science outdoor pavilion.

“The Mass Cytometry Summit gives a unique way to interact with other researchers in a relaxed environment: It’s easy to meet new people and establish collaborations.”
—Denis Schapiro, PhD, University of Zurich

Many speakers graciously agreed to share their talks with the mass cytometry community. Watch their on-demand presentations.

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For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.