On October 31, 2023 Akoya Biosciences Inc., (Nasdaq: AKYA) The Spatial Biology Company, reported that it will be showcasing its latest Spatial Biology 2.0 solutions and ultrahigh-plex (100+ protein biomarkers) spatial phenotyping data at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) 38th Annual Meeting, being held in San Diego, California, November 1-5, 2023 (Press release, Akoya Biosciences, OCT 31, 2023, View Source [SID1234636511]).

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At booth #719, Akoya Biosciences will highlight its new PhenoCycler-Fusion 2.0 and PhenoImager HT 2.0 platforms, which offer significant advancements in speed and scale for spatial biology research.

PhenoCycler-Fusion 2.0: Features multi-slide automation, enabling researchers to generate ultrahigh-plex spatial phenotyping data for larger and more complex samples at unprecedented speed.
PhenoImager HT 2.0: Features onboard spectral unmixing, which accelerates biomarker development and validation workflows.
"We continue to evolve our spatial biology platforms to enable even greater speed and scale, which is essential for our customers as they discover and validate new biomarkers," said Brian McKelligon, CEO of Akoya Biosciences. "We’re excited to be at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) where we will highlight these innovations and share an extensive array of new spatial phenotyping data. Many members of our global network of CRO service providers will also be at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper). These organizations are a critical resource for biopharmaceutical companies as the industry continues to integrate spatial biology into their discovery and translational workflows."

Ultrahigh-plex Spatial Phenotyping Reveals Markers Associated with Response to Immunotherapy

Among the posters being presented at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) is one describing the spatial tumor microenvironment landscapes of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) tissues from patients over the course of immunotherapy treatment. An ultrahigh-plex antibody panel encompassing cell lineages, activation states, immune checkpoints, structural and metabolic markers was deployed on the PhenoCycler-Fusion platform for analysis of the tissue microenvironment. Cellular phenotypes, spatial neighborhoods and functional states driving tumor pathogenesis and response to immunotherapy were identified. The poster will be presented by Arutha Kulasinghe, Ph.D., leader of the Clinical-oMx Group at the Frazer Institute of the University of Queensland, Australia, and founding scientific director of the Queensland Spatial Biology Centre.

Dr. Kulasinghe, his colleagues, and Akoya collaborators recently published a peer-reviewed article describing another ultrahigh-plex spatial biology study that revealed a high degree of intra-tumoral heterogeneity and distinct immune microenvironments in a tumor tissue section from a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patient with a partial response to treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor.

These studies reinforce the value of single-cell ultrahigh-plex spatial phenotyping as a powerful tool for defining spatial tissue signatures associated with therapy response and resistance.

Expanding Global Network of Contract Research Organizations (CROs) Providing Spatial Phenotyping Solutions

Fourteen of Akoya’s eighteen qualified CRO service providers will also be exhibiting at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper). Akoya’s CRO network continues to grow rapidly, reflecting the demand for spatial phenotyping solutions across the biopharmaceutical industry. Offering biomarker testing services, these CROs enable drug developers and academic research institutions to accelerate the discovery and development of new immuno-therapies.

"We have seen great success leveraging Akoya’s ultrahigh-plex spatial biology technology to deliver better insights into the tumor microenvironment for our biopharma clients," said Christiaan Neelemen, President, Research & Clinical Services, Discovery Life Sciences, a member of Akoya’s CRO network providing end-to-end spatial immunophenotyping services to help define mechanisms of action, disease indications, and patient stratification. "With Akoya’s reliable multiplex technology, we can perform faster and higher quality analysis on a single tissue slide, helping us better understand complex disease mechanisms so our clients can develop more effective treatments."

"The demand for spatial phenotyping services and analysis continues to grow at an unprecedented pace," said Sunil Bodapati, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Enable Medicine, also a member of Akoya’s CRO network. "Akoya’s spatial biology platforms offer a combination of speed, throughput, and workflow efficiency. Our analysis platform, applied to high-plex datasets, allows us to rapidly deliver the spatial insights our clients need to advance their discovery and translational research and set the stage for the long-term success of their initiatives."

Details of the SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) posters to be presented by Akoya and collaborators are as follows:

Title: The Mutational Landscape Defines the Proteome and Spatial Organization of Tumor, Stroma, and
Immune Cells in Ovarian Cancer
Session Date and Time: Friday, Nov. 3 from 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Poster Number: 75

Title: Ultrahigh-plex Spatial Phenotyping of the Glioma Tumor Landscape in IDH-1wt and IDH-1R132H Patient Tissues
Session Date and Time: Friday, Nov. 3 from 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Poster Number: 97

Title: Identifying a Role for Macrophages in Predicting Immunotherapy Responses of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Session Date and Time: Friday, Nov. 3 from 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Poster Number: 105

Title: High Dimensional to High-throughput Spatial Phenotyping: An Integrated Pathway from Discovery to Translational and Clinical Studies
Session Date and Time: Friday, Nov. 3 from 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Poster Number: 117

Title: Temporo-Spatial Monitoring of the Tumor Microenvironment in Cutaneous Squamous Cell
Carcinoma
Session Date and Time: Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
Poster Number: 90

Title: Location, Location, Location: Spatial Analysis of Ultrahigh-Plex Immunofluorescence Panel in Head
and Neck Cancer
Session Date and Time: Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
Poster Number: 124

Title: Successful Immune-Checkpoint Therapy Promotes Spatial Reorganization of the Lymphoid and
Myeloid Cellular Populations
Session Date and Time: Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
Poster Number: 570

For more information about Akoya’s activities at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) 2023, please visit our website.