What we do
The Advanced Tissue Imaging Shared Resource (ATISR) at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center uses complex biomarker panels to elucidate the tumor microenvironment (TME) in various forms of cancer by employing TSA Opal multiplex immunofluorescent staining (mIF). This process allows us to produce data with both qualitative and quantitative veracity; we deliver phenotype counts without losing their morphological context in the TME. This is possible due to the unique mIF method paired with the power of AKOYA’s inForm quantitative phenotyping software. Additionally, our new acquisition of the NanoString GeoMX Digital Spatial Profiler expands our research opportunities to the novel field of spatial genomics, offering whole transcriptome and RNA sequencing while preserving the morphological integrity.
We provide services to investigators at Roswell Park, as well as other cancer centers, academic institutions and private biomedical companies. Investigators are encouraged to consult with our staff as early as possible during the planning phases of their project or grant development. Proper slide preparation is vital to successful outcomes. By starting discussions early, ATISR can advise on proper sample preparation and handling prior to any requests for cutting slides.
For all new requests, please complete the Initial Inquiry Form and submit to Vectra@RoswellPark.org. The Shared Resource will contact you to schedule a consultation to discuss your project. ATISR provides one introductory and one data delivery consultation free of charge, additional communications will be billed to the project as needed.
Technology
Custom panels are available upon request. ATISR requires any biomarkers to have a commercially available IHC validated antibody for panel inclusion. Panels can consist of six (6) or eight (8) biomarkers plus DAPI.
This fully automated slide stainer allows ATISR to run conventional DAB IHC, as well as complex multiplex fluorescent staining in a timely and highly reproducible manner. This resource is used in the optimization and staining of vectra panels, as well as the initial staining step of the RNA assays used for the NanoString DSP.
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This anatomical scanner delivers high throughput images from both brightfield and multispectral fluorescent staining. It allows for full slide unmixed images for 6 plex fluorescent panels. In addition, we can expand panels to 8 plex and deliver unmixed annotated regions of interest (ROI).
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This digital spatial profiler has the capability to run both mouse and human whole transcriptome assays (WTA) or human cancer transcriptome assay (CTA) on FFPE tissue, while retaining morphological context of the tissue. Tissue is stained with basic morphology markers to identify tumor and stroma and then ROIs are selected by the investigator, with guidance from our pathologist. Once the UV cleavable tags have been retrieved from the ROI and sequenced, read counts from that specific ROI are available for analysis.
Learn more- Shipra Gandhi, Mateusz Opyrchal, Melissa J. Grimm, Ronald T. Slomba, Kathleen M. Kokolus, Agnieszka Witkiewicz, Kristopher M. Attwood, Adrienne Groman, Lauren Williams, Mary Lynne Tarquini, Paul K. Wallace, Kah Teong Soh, Hans Minderman, Orla Maguire, Tracey L. O’Connor, Amy P. Early, Ellis G. Levine, and Pawel Kalinski. Systemic Infusion of TLR3-Ligand and IFNα Reprograms Local Breast Tumor Microenvironments for Selective CTL Influx, in submission.
- Kumarasamy V, Frangou C, Wang J, Wan Y, Dynka A, Rosenheck H, Dey P, Abel EV, Knudsen ES, Witkiewicz AK. Pharmacologically targeting KRASG12D in PDAC models: tumor cell intrinsic and extrinsic impact, in submission - Science Advances.
- Mohammadpour H, Tsuji T, MacDonald CR, Sarow JL, Rosenheck H, Daneshmandi S, Choi JE, Qiu J, Matsuzaki J, Witkiewicz AK, Attwood K, Blazar BR, Odunsi K, Repasky EA, McCarthy PL. Galectin-3 expression in donor T cells reduces GvHD severity and lethality after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Cell Rep. 2023 Mar 15;42(3):112250. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112250. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36924493.
- Langille E, Al-Zahrani KN, Ma Z, Liang M, Uuskula-Reimand L, Espin R, Teng K, Malik A, Bergholtz H, Ghamrasni SE, Afiuni-Zadeh S, Tsai R, Alvi S, Elia A, Lü Y, Oh RH, Kozma KJ, Trcka D, Narimatsu M, Liu JC, Nguyen T, Barutcu S, Loganathan SK, Bremner R, Bader GD, Egan SE, Cescon DW, Sørlie T, Wrana JL, Jackson HW, Wilson MD, Witkiewicz AK, Knudsen ES, Pujana MA, Wahl GM, Schramek D. Loss of Epigenetic Regulation Disrupts Lineage Integrity, Induces Aberrant Alveogenesis, and Promotes Breast Cancer. Cancer Discov. 2022 Dec 2;12(12):2930-2953. doi:10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-0865. PMID: 36108220; PMCID: PMC9812400.
- Hamad SH, Montgomery SA, Simon JM, Bowman BM, Spainhower KB, Murphy RM, Knudsen ES, Fenton SE, Randell SH, Holt JR, Hayes DN, Witkiewicz AK, Oliver TG, Major MB, Weissman BE. TP53, CDKN2A/P16, and NFE2L2/NRF2 regulate the incidence of pure- and combined-small cell lung cancer in mice. Oncogene. 2022 Jun;41(25):3423-3432. doi: 10.1038/s41388-022-02348-0. Epub 2022 May 16. Erratum in: Oncogene. 2022 Sep;41(39):4485. PMID: 35577980.
- Knudsen ES, Kumarasamy V, Nambiar R, Pearson JD, Vail P, Rosenheck H, Wang J, Eng K, Bremner R, Schramek D, Rubin SM, Welm AL, Witkiewicz AK. CDK/cyclin dependencies define extreme cancer cell-cycle heterogeneity and collateral vulnerabilities. Cell Rep. 2022 Mar 1;38(9):110448. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110448. PMID: 35235778; PMCID: PMC9022184.
- Kumarasamy V, Nambiar R, Wang J, Rosenheck H, Witkiewicz AK, Knudsen ES. RB loss determines selective resistance and novel vulnerabilities in ER-positive breast cancer models. Oncogene. 2022 Jul;41(27):3524-3538. doi: 10.1038/s41388-022-02362-2. Epub 2022 Jun 9. PMID: 35676324.
- Pearson JD, Huang K, Pacal M, McCurdy SR, Lu S, Aubry A, Yu T, Wadosky KM, Zhang L, Wang T, Gregorieff A, Ahmad M, Dimaras H, Langille E, Cole SPC, Monnier PP, Lok BH, Tsao MS, Akeno N, Schramek D, Wikenheiser-Brokamp KA, Knudsen ES, Witkiewicz AK, Wrana JL, Goodrich DW, Bremner R. Binary pancancer classes with distinct vulnerabilities defined by pro- or anti-cancer YAP/TEAD activity. Cancer Cell. 2021;39(8):1115-34 e12. PMID: 34270926; PMCID: PMC8981970.
- Fountzilas C, Bajor DL, Mukherjee S, Saltzman J, Witkiewicz AK, Maguire O, Minderman H, Nambiar R, Rosenheck HR, Knudsen ES, Muhitch JB, Abrams SI, Wang C, Hutson AD, Attwood K, Hicks KA, Jurcevic JA, Kalinski P, Iyer R, Boland PM. Phase Ib/II Study of Cetuximab plus Pembrolizumab in Patients with Advanced RAS Wild-Type Colorectal Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Dec 15;27(24):6726-6736. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-1650. Epub 2021 Oct 13. PMID: 34645646.
- Kumarasamy V, Vail P, Nambiar R, Witkiewicz AK, Knudsen ES. Functional Determinants of Cell Cycle Plasticity and Sensitivity to CDK4/6 Inhibition. Cancer Res. 2021;81(5):1347-60 PMID: 33323381; PMCID: PMC8026500.
- Gandhi S, Pandey MR, Attwood K, Ji W, Witkiewicz AK, Knudsen ES, Allen C, Tario JD, Wallace PK, Cedeno CD, Levis M, Stack S, Funchain P, Drabick JJ, Bucsek MJ, Puzanov I, Mohammadpour H, Repasky EA, Ernstoff MS. Phase I Clinical Trial of Combination Propranolol and Pembrolizumab in Locally Advanced and Metastatic Melanoma: Safety, Tolerability, and Preliminary Evidence of Antitumor Activity. Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Jan 1;27(1):87-95. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-2381. Epub 2020 Oct 30. PMID: 33127652; PMCID: PMC7785669.
- Knudsen ES, Kumarasamy V, Chung S, Ruiz A, Vail P, Tzetzo S, Wu J, Nambiar R, Sivinski J, Chauhan SS, Seshadri M, Abrams SI, Wang J, Witkiewicz AK. Targeting dual signaling pathways in concert with immune checkpoints for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Gut. 2021 Jan;70(1):127-138. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-321000. Epub 2020 May 18. PMID: 32424005; PMCID: PMC7671951.
Services & fees
Project estimates are available upon request. Please complete the Initial Inquiry Form and email to Vectra@RoswellPark.org.
Meet our team
Email: Hanna.Rosenheck@RoswellPark.org
Email: Sidney.Mahan@RoswellPark.org
Location and hours
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterAdvanced Tissue Imaging Shared Resource
Elm and Carlton Streets
Buffalo, New York 14263
Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
This shared resource is funded by NCI P30CA16056. Publications should cite the core grant in the acknowledgment section if publications use data generated by the shared resource.