High multiplex analysis of the immune microenvironment in bone marrow trephine samples using GeoMX™ digital spatial...

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Immunology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Bone marrow (BM) immune microenvironment studies are limited by BM aspirate analysis, losing tissue context.
• GeoMX™ digital spatial profiling (DSP) enables high-multiplex protein analysis in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the applicability of GeoMX™ DSP for analyzing protein expression in diagnostic BM trephine samples.
• To investigate the bone marrow immune microenvironment in various hematological conditions.

Main Methods:

• Archival BM trephines from normal, myelodysplasia, and aplastic anemia patient groups were analyzed.
• Regions of interest were identified using CD3+/CD45+ immunohistochemistry.
• GeoMX™ DSP was applied for protein expression analysis, with normalization for cell counts.

Main Results:

• Protein expression data were normalized using internal controls and nuclei counts.
• Heat map analysis revealed that aplastic anemia samples clustered separately from normal and myelodysplasia samples.
• Significant differences in bone marrow immunology were identified between patient groups.

Conclusions:

• GeoMX™ DSP provides unprecedented detail for analyzing archival BM trephines.
• This technique facilitates large-scale studies in hematological malignancies.
• Potential for identifying new biomarkers, disease pathogenesis mechanisms, and therapeutic targets.