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Updated: Mar 21, 2026
Orthotopic Implantation and Peripheral Immune Cell Monitoring in the II-45 Syngeneic Rat Mesothelioma Model
Published on: October 2, 2015
Systems immune monitoring in cancer therapy
Allison R Greenplate1, Douglas B Johnson2, P Brent Ferrell2
1Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
Abstract:
Treatments that successfully modulate anti-cancer immunity have significantly improved outcomes for advanced stage malignancies and sparked intense study of the cellular mechanisms governing therapy response and resistance. These responses are governed by an evolving milieu of cancer and immune cell subpopulations that can be a rich source of biomarkers and biological insight, but it is only recently that research tools have developed to comprehensively characterize this level of cellular complexity. Mass cytometry is particularly well suited to tracking cells in complex tissues because >35 measurements can be made on each of hundreds of thousands of cells per sample, allowing all cells detected in a sample to be characterized for cell type, signalling activity, and functional outcome. This review focuses on mass cytometry as an example of systems level characterization of cancer and immune cells in human tissues, including blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and primary tumours. This review also discusses the state of the art in single cell tumour immunology, including tissue collection, technical and biological quality controls, computational analysis, and integration of different experimental and clinical data types. Ex vivo analysis of human tumour cells complements both in vivo monitoring, which generally measures far fewer features or lacks single cell resolution, and laboratory models, which incur cell type losses, signalling alterations, and genomic changes during establishment. Mass cytometry is on the leading edge of a new generation of cytomic tools that work with small tissue samples, such as a fine needle aspirates or blood draws, to monitor changes in rare or unexpected cell subsets during cancer therapy. This approach holds great promise for dissecting cellular microenvironments, monitoring how treatments affect tissues, revealing cellular biomarkers and effector mechanisms, and creating new treatments that productively engage the immune system to fight cancer and other diseases.
Insights
Mass cytometry enables detailed analysis of cancer and immune cells, revealing biomarkers and treatment effects. This technology aids in understanding therapy response and developing new cancer treatments.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Biotechnology
- Oncology
Background:
- Advanced cancer treatments rely on modulating anti-cancer immunity.
- Understanding cellular mechanisms of therapy response and resistance is crucial.
- Complex cellular milieus in tumors offer biomarker and insight potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review mass cytometry for systems-level characterization of cancer and immune cells in human tissues.
- To discuss the state-of-the-art in single-cell tumor immunology.
- To highlight mass cytometry's role in dissecting cellular microenvironments and monitoring treatment effects.
Main Methods:
- Mass cytometry allows over 35 measurements per cell on hundreds of thousands of cells.
- Characterization includes cell type, signaling activity, and functional outcomes.
- Ex vivo analysis of human tumor cells complements in vivo and laboratory models.
Main Results:
- Mass cytometry provides high-resolution, systems-level characterization of cellular complexity in tissues.
- It enables comprehensive analysis of cancer and immune cell subpopulations.
- The technology facilitates the identification of rare cell subsets and their responses to therapy.
Conclusions:
- Mass cytometry is a leading cytomic tool for analyzing small tissue samples.
- It holds promise for dissecting tumor microenvironments and monitoring treatment impact.
- This approach can reveal biomarkers, effector mechanisms, and inform new cancer therapies.
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