Multiplex immunofluorescence for cancer research

As our attempts to develop more targeted and effective drugs continue, the need to better understand the protective and confounding effect of the tumor microenvironment grows. The study of such a complex environment, composed of many cell types with varying, often-corrupted, functions, requires tools that can examine and characterize numerous factors simultaneously and with spatial context. By deploying technologies such as multiplex immunofluorescence effectively, we can design therapies that are more targeted to the tumor and its microenvironment, while remaining resistant to its protective immunosuppressive effects.

This In Focus will provide insight into tools and how they can be applied in the study of the tumor microenvironment.