Osteosarcoma Transcriptomics: Leveraging FFPE Biobanks in Research

Presentation Description / Summary: Canine clinical trials in tumor-bearing pet dogs offer an opportunity to collect outcome-linked biospecimens including formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues from primary and metastatic tumors and non-tumor tissues. FFPE tissues allow the visualization of components of the tumor microenvironment such as immune cells which may play a role in tumor progression or therapeutic response. Defining the differences between these components on a transcriptomic level provides a deeper insight into tissue composition than can be provided through immunohistochemistry (IHC). Several tools have been developed to study transcriptomics from regions of interest or distinct tissue compartments within FFPE tissue samples. This session will first outline and discuss the pros and cons of available platforms for examining canine samples including NanoString’s Canine Immuno-Oncology Panel and GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler with comparison to single cell and bulk RNA sequencing methods. Sample quality requirements, experimental methods, and data analysis of these platforms will also be discussed. Finally, scientific findings using these platforms in canine osteosarcoma tissues will be presented with a discussion of the importance of understanding spatial biology in canine osteosarcoma.