Open Multiplexing: Transforming Tissue Research with Cell DIVE

Cancer is a complex disease at the level of both cells and tissues, and uncovering novel treatments requires understanding the biology and organization of many different cell types and tissues. The ability to properly characterize these different features is limited by the analysis method; genomics methods are incredibly broad, but lack spatial information, and imaging methods frequently lack the breadth to understand multiple interlinked oncological phenomena.

Here, we present Cell DIVE, a complete open multiplex imaging workflow that allows for the imaging of over sixty biomarkers in a single tissue section through iterative staining and dye inactivation. This allows for multiple areas of cancer biology to be explored simultaneously. First, using Cell DIVE, we show how cancer cells in hypoxic regions of pancreatic tumors can adapt to extreme conditions, evade cell death, and avoid immune surveillance. 

Second, we explore how Cell DIVE’s flexible and scalable workflow can grow to meet the needs of your multiplex imaging study while allowing the researcher flexibility in how the workflow is performed. 

Last, we demonstrate how automation can be leveraged to improve the speed of complex imaging studies and minimize touch points. By utilizing more biomarkers in an imaging study, the influence and relationships of additional biological pathways on cancer progression can be more easily studied, potentially paving the way for better targeting of emerging therapies.