The Path to Clinical Relevance:
Moving from Spatial Transcriptomics to
Protein Profiling
Spatial biology is a rapidly evolving discipline that advances human health by leveraging imaging technologies. It
encompasses research activities ranging from whole-transcriptome profiling to clinically impactful single-protein
biomarker tests.
Translational researchers aiming to derive clinically useful protein profiling panels from whole transcriptome
insights face unique challenges: deciding which biomarkers to include in the panel, validating the reagents for
reliable results, then testing large numbers of clinical samples for statistically powered results tied to clinical
outcomes.
Translational spatial biology studies involve quantification of tissue microenvironments at scale, unlocking
mechanistic, prognostic, and predictive insights to improve patient care. In this context, protein-level analysis
remains the gold standard for understanding disease mechanisms and evaluating therapeutic responses. The
central challenge for researchers is clear:
How can you design a clinically relevant biomarker panel that captures sufficient biological complexity
to assess efficacy, while maintaining the throughput required for large preclinical studies and clinical
trials?
What plex is ideal for
clinical research?
Dr. Peter Sorger’s team at
Harvard University explained
in this article that the current
standard in clinical research
is 5-6 plex imaging, but
that a minimum of 10-16
markers are required for
tumor profiling.
https://www.nature.com/
articles/s43018-023-00576-1
From Discovery to Clinical Value
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Tumor microenvironment
profiling measuring infiltration of tumor (yellow) by
macrophages and T cells. Lines are dilation zones to capture
the density of immune cells near the tumor.
Over the past decade, discovery activities using spatial transcriptomics
technologies have led to an explosion of candidate microenvironment
biomarkers with potential clinical value. Translational activities are then
required to determine their clinical relevance. These activities involve first
validating RNA leads at the protein level, as cellular phenotype and function
are dictated by protein expression, followed by microenvironment analysis tied
to clinical outcomes at the statistically-powered large-cohort study level.
The typical workflow for moving from spatial transcriptomics results to multiplex IF
panel testing involves these steps:
• Identify RNA leads with spatial transcriptomics to identify a short list of RNA leads within
the tissue
• Validate RNA leads at the protein level using immunohistochemistry (IHC)
• Combine validated protein markers with established markers into a panel for multiplex IF testing
At this point, researchers encounter a challenge: What technology enables spatial protein profiling with sufficient
throughput and multiplexing capacity to derive clinically relevant spatial biomarkers backed by the statistics
provided by large cohort studies?
“Discovery work performed with upstream transcriptomics tools has revealed a
tremendous number of biomarkers with potential clinical value. The current challenge is
to integrate useful RNA leads into improved biomarker panels that can then be applied
to large cohort studies to establish clinical utility.”
— Tad George,
Senior Vice President Biology R&D at RareCyte, Inc.
Spatial biology for translational research requires development of useful
and reliable panels with sufficient plex to resolve microenvironments, and
sample testing with sufficient throughput and plex to get statistically powered
microenvironment-level clinical insights.
To establish clinically relevant biomarker panels for large cohort studies, high-throughput protein analysis is
crucial, yet throughput is often limited by the number of markers that can be measured in a single imaging round.
Traditional multiplex IF technologies, typically restricted to 2–6 markers per round, limit the depth of clinical
research.
Increasing the number of protein markers detected per round enables more comprehensive biological
insights and improves data quality.
The Orion™ platform addresses this limitation by capturing 20 channels (18 markers + DNA +
autofluorescence) per round, significantly expanding panel capacity. When panels exceed the capacity of a
single round, cycling on a small subset of samples can help identify a subset of markers that are compatible for
single-round measurement – however, each additional cycle adds time, reduces throughput, and increases the
risk of tissue degradation. By capturing more markers per round, Orion minimizes the number of cycles needed,
streamlining workflows and improving data quality.
Panel design in multiplex IF experiments presents additional challenges that go beyond antibody selection.
• Each antibody must be rigorously validated for
compatibility with the specific platform to ensure
accurate and reproducible results. The availability of
a broad range of pre-validated reagents is essential
to streamline panel development and reduce
experimental risk.
• For studies requiring novel targets, the ability to
create and validate custom reagents becomes
critical.
• In multi-round experiments, it is also necessary
to verify that signal removal is complete and that
antigen integrity is preserved throughout the
process, ensuring reliable detection across all cycles.
Addressing these requirements is vital for generating
high-quality, reproducible data in translational spatial
biology studies.
Overcoming Traditional Limitations
Human Breast Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Dense triplepositive
tumor showing complete membranous staining
of HER2, with nuclear staining of P53 (blue), ER (red), PR
(green) or combinations thereof.
Orion is uniquely suited to bridge the translational gap in
spatial biology
The Orion™ platform overcomes barriers in spatial biology by enabling simultaneous detection of 20 channels per
round. This high-plex, high-throughput capability allows researchers to efficiently transition from RNA discovery to
protein translational studies – without compromising sample integrity or data quality.
• Flexible, High-Quality, Reliable Panels
Orion’s comprehensive panel development toolkit includes prevalidated
reagents, off-the-shelf panels, and easy-to-master labeling
kits for incorporating custom markers, minimizing your panel
development time. The ability to stain all your antibodies in a single
round simplifies validation and improves data quality.
• High-Throughput and High-Plex for Large Cohorts
Orion has the throughput and plex necessary to resolve
microenvironments across large cohorts of whole specimen samples
for statistical power. Process tens to hundreds of samples quickly,
generating robust, quantitative, statistically powered data tied to
clinical outcomes.
• One Platform for Discovery and Translational
Single platform for high-plex discovery panels and single-round translational panels. Image 20 channels in a
single round, or cycle Orion to achieve an even higher plex when needed. This flexibility allows you to start
broad (e.g., 51-plex discovery in three rounds), then focus on a streamlined, clinically relevant single-round
panel for high-throughput validation – all on the same platform.
In Summary
Orion empowers researchers to perform high-plex, high-throughput spatial protein analysis across large sample
numbers, supporting robust biomarker validation and meeting the demands of clinical trials. By seamlessly
connecting spatial transcriptomics discovery with functional protein validation, Orion bridges the gap between
biomarker discovery and clinical research – accelerating the translation of spatial biology insights into patient
impact.
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Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other brand and product names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
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