Mass cytometry

DVS Sciences CyTOF mass cytometer.

Mass cytometry is a mass spectrometry technique based on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and time of flight mass spectrometry used for the determination of the properties of cells (cytometry).^[1][2] In this approach, antibodies are tagged with isotopically pure rare earth elements and these are used to tag the components of cells. Cells are nebulized and sent to an argon plasma, ionizing the multi-atom metal tags, which are then analyzed by a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The approach overcomes limitations of spectral overlap that limit flow cytometry.

Commercialization

Tagging technology and instrument development occurred at the University of Toronto and DVS Sciences, Inc.^[1][3] CyTOF (Cytometry by Time of Flight) was initially commercialized by DVS Sciences in 2009. In 2014, Fluidigm acquired DVS Sciences ^[4] to become a reference company in single cell technology.^[5] The CyTOF, CyTOF2 and Helios (CyTOF3) have been commercialized up to now.

Data analysis

Mass cytometry data is recorded in tables that list, for each cell, the signal detected per channel, which is proportional to the number of antibodies tagged with the corresponding channel's isotope bound to that cell. These data are formatted as FCS files, which are compatible with traditional flow cytometry software. Due to the high-dimensional nature of mass cytometry data, novel data analysis tools have been developed as well.^[6]

Applications

Mass cytometry has research applications in medical fields including immunology, hematology, and oncology. It has been used in studies of hematopoiesis,^[7] cell cycle, cytokine expression, and differential signaling responses.

Development

High efficiency cell introduction system (HECIS) has been recently developed.^[8]

References

1. Bandura, DR; Baranov VI; Ornatsky OI; Antonov A; Kinach R; Lou X; Pavlov S; Vorobiev S; Dick JE; Tanner SD (2009). "Mass Cytometry: Technique for Real Time Single Cell Multitarget Immunoassay Based on Inductively Coupled Plasma Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry". Analytical Chemistry 81 (16): 6813–6822. doi:10.1021/ac901049w.
2. Di Palma, Serena; Bodenmiller, Bernd (2015). "Unraveling cell populations in tumors by single-cell mass cytometry". Current Opinion in Biotechnology 31: 122–129. doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2014.07.004. ISSN 0958-1669.
3. Ornatsky, O; Bandura D; Baranov V; Nitz M; Winnick MA; Tanner S (30 September 2010). "Highly multiparametric analysis by mass cytometry". Journal of Immunological Methods 361 (1-2): 1–20. doi:10.1016/j.jim.2010.07.002. PMID 20655312.
4. "Fluidigm | Press Releases | FLUIDIGM TO ACQUIRE DVS SCIENCES". www.fluidigm.com. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
5. "An Open Letter to Customers of Fluidigm and DVS Sciences, Inc." (PDF). Fluidigm and DVS Sciences, Inc. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
6. Krishnaswamy, Smita; Spitzer, Matthew; Mingueneau, Michael; Bendall, Sean; Litvin, Oren; Stone, Erica; Pe'er, Dana; Nolan, Garry (28 Nov 2014). "Conditional density-based analysis of T cell signaling in single-cell data". Science 346 (6213): 1250689. doi:10.1126/science.1250689. PMID 25342659.
7. Bendall, SC; Simonds EF, Qiu P, Amir ED, Krutzik PO, Finck R, Bruggner RV, Melamed R, Trejo A, Ornatsky OI, Balderas RS, Plevritis SK, Sachs K, Pe'er D, Tanner SD, Nolan GP (6 May 2011). "Single-Cell Mass Cytometry of Differential Immune and Drug Responses Across a Human Hematopoietic Continuum". Science 332 (6030): 687–696. doi:10.1126/science.1198704. PMC 3273988. PMID 21551058. Cite uses deprecated parameter |coauthors= (help)
8. Miyashita, Shin-ichi; Groombridge, Alexander S.; Fujii, Shin-ichiro; Minoda, Ayumi; Takatsu, Akiko; Hioki, Akiharu; Chibaa, Koichi; Inagakia, Kazumi (20 May 2014). "Highly efficient single-cell analysis of microbial cells by time-resolved inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry". Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 7 (22): 3239–47. doi:10.1039/C4JA00040D. Retrieved 3 July 2014.