Cellular Microenvironments in Stem Cell Niche Contacting Glioblastoma

→ Speaker: Rebecca Ihrie, PhD, Vanderbilt University

Ihrie outlines how CyTOF® has been particularly useful in dissecting the complex mix of cell types present in glioblastoma by enabling cell classification and how Imaging Mass Cytometry™ supports an understanding of cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment and furthers insights into the connection of tumor contact status with prognosis.

Immuno-oncology is an incredibly important field in advancing our understanding of how glioblastoma, a highly malignant and aggressive brain tumor, might be treated better. Ihrie describes specific adaptations to tools she and her lab have used to answer questions of particular interest using suspension mass cytometry and Imaging Mass Cytometry.

Given the complexity of these tumors appearing in regions of the brain with different complements of immune cells and other factors produced by resident cells, Ihrie describes a look into how cells interact, what kind of signaling occurs between different cell subtypes in these regions and how the cells influence each other.