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Updated: Oct 14, 2025
Isolation of Murine Lymph Node Stromal Cells
Published on: August 19, 2014
Processing human lymph node samples for single-cell assays
Tobias Roider1,2,3, Berit J Brinkmann1,2,3,4, Sascha Dietrich1,2,3
1European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Insights
This study presents a gentle, time-efficient protocol for processing human lymph node samples. The method yields single-cell suspensions for advanced analyses like single-cell RNA sequencing in lymphoma research.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) predominantly resides within lymph nodes, shielded by the tumor microenvironment.
- Understanding cellular heterogeneity and cell interactions in NHL requires patient-derived samples.
- Delicate assays necessitate high-quality single-cell suspensions from lymph node tissue.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a rapid and gentle protocol for processing human lymph node samples.
- To generate single-cell suspensions suitable for sensitive downstream applications.
- To facilitate the study of cellular heterogeneity and cell-cell interactions in lymphoma.
Main Methods:
- A novel protocol for human lymph node sample processing is described.
- The method avoids enzymatic digestion and mechanical stress.
- Optimization focused on preserving cellular integrity for single-cell analysis.
Main Results:
- The protocol is time-efficient and gentle on delicate cells.
- It successfully produces single-cell suspensions from lymph node tissue.
- The resulting suspensions are suitable for assays like single-cell RNA sequencing.
Conclusions:
- This protocol offers an effective means to prepare patient-derived lymph node samples.
- It supports advanced single-cell analyses crucial for lymphoma research.
- The method aids in investigating the tumor microenvironment and cellular heterogeneity in NHL.
Abstract:
Most non-Hodgkin's lymphomas grow exclusively in the lymph node compartment protected by the tumor microenvironment. To better understand the cellular heterogeneity and the complex interaction between malignant and non-malignant cells, experiments with primary, patient-derived samples are often indispensable. Here, we describe a time-efficient but gentle protocol to process human lymph node samples. This protocol avoids enzymatic or mechanical stress and was optimized for the purpose of generating single-cell suspension suitable for delicate assays, such as single-cell RNA sequencing. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Roider et al. (2020).
