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Updated: Dec 23, 2025
Mass Cytometry Analysis of Systemic and Local Immune Responses in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Published on: April 25, 2025
Exploration of the personalized immune checkpoint atlas of plasma cell dyscrasias patients using high‑dimensional
Chenggong Tu1, Yongjiang Zheng2, Hui Zhang1
1Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Modification and Degradation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510095, P.R. China.
Abstract:
Immune checkpoint blockade endows patients with unparalleled success in conquering cancer. Unfortunately, inter‑individual heterogeneity causes failure in controlling tumors in many patients. Emerging mass cytometry technology is capable of revealing a multiscale onco‑immune landscape that improves the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. We introduced mass cytometry to determine the personalized immune checkpoint status in bone marrow and peripheral blood samples from 3 patients with multiple myeloma, amyloid light‑chain amyloidosis, and solitary bone plasmacytoma and 1 non‑hematologic malignancy patient. The expression of 18 immune regulatory receptors and ligands on 17 defined cell populations was simultaneously examined. By single‑cell analyses, we identified the T cell clusters that serve as immunosuppressive signal source and revealed integrated immune checkpoint axes of individuals, thereby providing multiple potential immunotherapeutic targets, including programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‑1), inducible co‑stimulator (ICOS), and cluster of differentiation 28 (CD28), for each patient. Distinguishing the cell populations that function as providers and receivers of the immune checkpoint signals demonstrated a distinct cross‑interaction network of immunomodulatory signals in individuals. These in‑depth personalized data demonstrate mass cytometry as a powerful innovation to discover the systematical immune status in the primary and peripheral tumor microenvironment.
Insights
Mass cytometry reveals personalized immune checkpoint status in cancer patients, identifying specific T cell clusters and targets like PD-1 for tailored immunotherapy. This technology uncovers individual immune signaling networks for improved cancer treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) shows promise in cancer treatment but faces challenges due to patient heterogeneity.
- Understanding the complex onco-immune landscape is crucial for improving immunotherapy efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply mass cytometry for personalized immune checkpoint profiling in cancer patients.
- To identify individual immune checkpoint axes and potential therapeutic targets.
Main Methods:
- Mass cytometry was used to analyze immune regulatory receptor and ligand expression on defined cell populations.
- Single-cell analyses were performed on bone marrow and peripheral blood samples from patients with hematologic and non-hematologic malignancies.
Main Results:
- Identified specific T cell clusters acting as sources of immunosuppressive signals.
- Revealed integrated immune checkpoint axes and cross-interaction networks of immunomodulatory signals for each patient.
- Discovered potential immunotherapeutic targets including programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), inducible co-stimulator (ICOS), and cluster of differentiation 28 (CD28).
Conclusions:
- Mass cytometry provides in-depth, personalized data on the systemic immune status within the tumor microenvironment.
- This technology is a powerful tool for discovering individual immune profiles and guiding precision immunotherapy strategies.
