Exploring the human brain with automated high-plex immunofluorescence: focus on Multiple Sclerosis disease 3551

Abstract Description Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disorder characterized by autoimmune-driven demyelination and neurodegeneration of the central nervous system (CNS). The complexity of the immune response and intricated interactions within the CNS microenvironment remain challenging to pinpoint. Recent advancements in spatial biology offer powerful tools to investigate MS lesions. In this study, we leverage automated multiplex immunofluorescence to investigate protein expression and cellular relationships in the brain of MS patients. Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded tissue sections of human MS and normal brain samples were stained and imaged on COMET™, a fully automated platform for sequential immunofluorescence (seqIF™) assays. We designed a high-plex immunofluorescence panel to assess spatial alterations occurring in MS lesions. We focused on the characterization of neuroinflammation by leveraging the simultaneous detection of multiple microglia and astrocyte biomarkers on a single slide, together with neurons and vasculature components. Our data confirmed the occurrence of the local immune response associated with MS, providing insights into the disease-specific alterations at a spatially resolved level. The automated high-plex assay used in this study significantly reduces the consumption of precious tissue samples, while enabling a comprehensive analysis of the brain architecture in neurological disorders to gain a deeper understanding of complex mechanisms of neurodegeneration. Topic Categories Neuroimmunology (NEUR)