Multispectral imaging for highly accurate analysis of tumour‐infiltrating lymphocytes in primary melanoma

Abstract

Our study highlights the potential of MSI for accurate assessment of immune cell infiltrates, including those in notoriously difficult tissues, such as pigmented melanomas. Quantification of tumour infiltration by different immune cell types is crucial in the search for new biomarkers to predict patient responses to immunotherapies. Our findings show that this innovative microscopy technique is an important extension of the armamentarium of pathologists.

Assessing Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Solid Tumors: A Practical Review for Pathologists and Proposal for a Standardized Method from the International Immuno-Oncology Biomarkers Working Group: Part 2: TILs in Melanoma, Gastrointestinal Tract Carcinomas, Non–Small Cell Lung Carcinoma and Mesothelioma, Endometrial and Ovarian Carcinomas, Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck, Genitourinary Carcinomas, and Primary Brain Tumors

“…In contrast, FOXP3 + T regs negatively impacted survival [21]. Multispectral immunohistochemistry can be used reliably even in the presence of heavy melanin pigmentation [22] and has been used to predict the yield of TILs generated for adoptive cell transfer [23]. Importantly, Weiss et al found no added prognostic benefit to quantifying lymphocyte subsets by IHC over a three-tiered H&E assessment [11].…”

Tissue-Specific Immunoregulation: A Call for Better Understanding of the “Immunostat” in the Context of Cancer

“…For example, single-cell sequencing (38) combined with quantitative and spatial proteomic analysis (47,48) is already being used to elaborate the specific immune ecosystem of different tissues in normal and disease conditions. Once we have a complete understanding of each organ-specific immunostat, we will be able to anticipate with much greater precision how to treat cancers that arise in different organs with specific CIT cocktails.…”

New developments in the pathology of malignant lymphoma. A review of the literature published from September–August 2017

“…The clonal DNA IGHV sequence of the tumor was aligned and compared with the closest germline sequence and homology percentage was calculated. A functional monoclonal sequence was observed in 14 cases as determined for IGHV [ 10 ], IGLV [ 2 ], or IGKV [ 3 ]. IGV mutation rates were high (> 5%) in all cases but one, with conservation of superantigen binding sites.…”

“…I.J. Miller retrieved 46 cases of Epstein Bar virus (EBV) positive lymphomas from the archives of his laboratory and looked carefully at the distribution of EBV early RNA (EBER)-positive cells [ 2 ]. I imagine that he or she was reviewing a case and wondered what it means that the number of EBER-positive neoplastic cells is so variable.…”