Expert view: Opportunities in flow cytometry

To improve the efficacy of these breakthrough medicines and discover new therapies, there is a need for more physiologically cell-based disease models. Multiplex analysis that combines immuno-phenotyping and functional assessment of cell health, activation, killing potential and cytokine profiling is required to identify and validate new cancer targets and approaches. Severe constraints on both primary cell availability and long-term viability are driving the desire to miniaturise assays and compress analysis workflows. One solution for improving the scale and throughput of novel immunebased therapies is to use improved/advanced bioanalytical instruments in targeted clinical applications.

Flow cytometry is a powerful technology that delivers high-content information from single cells and particles. However, the limited throughput, large sample volumes and bottlenecks in data analysis for microtitre platebased assays that are found in traditional flow cytometry technology limits its use in biologics development. Therefore, the flow cytometry industry needs to leverage their technologies to deliver high-throughput content and to rapidly analyse the large multiplex datasets found in immunoncology profiling studies.

Sartorius is addressing this need with the Intellicyt iQue3, an advanced high-throughput flow cytometry platform. This integrated instrument, software and reagent solution enables rapid, high-content, multiplexed analysis of cells and secreted proteins. Optimised immune cell phenotyping and function assay kits collapse the workflows of multiple tube assays into single microplate well formats, conserving valuable cell samples. Advancements in reagent design and intelligent liquid sensing enables walk-away plate sampling. The integrated ForeCyt Software was purpose built for plate-based studies and delivers a fully integrated user experience and novel data visualisation that accelerates actionable answers in minutes per plate; not hours or days.

Further advancements in flow cytometry throughput, sample miniaturisation and automated data analysis will continue to provide opportunities to increase the physiological relevance and speed of high-content data for cancer drug development.