Online meeting, 30 January 2025
Delegate feedback: “The sessions were all relevant to my lab. Excellent overall!”
Our meeting was opened by Dr Wilhelm Gerner who introduced the emerging area of spatial immunobiology and its relevance to advancing our understanding of immune responses at the host-pathogen interface. Dr Vanessa Herder (University of Glasgow, UK) started us off on a journey exploring the role of macrophages and their importance in SARS CoV-2 infections highlighting the involvement of Interferon Stimulated Genes (ISGs) employing a raft of techniques including RNAscope, digital pathology and RNAseq using human tissues and hamster models of infection. Dr Valentin Goutaudier (Paris Transplant Institute, France) followed sharing his work understanding the cell interactions in pig-to-human kidney xenotransplantation, applying a human Nanostring panel and harnessing cross-reactivity to dissect the spatial immunology involved in graft acceptance.
After a short break, our delegates were introduced to Ankyrons® by Dr Jeremy Fry from ProImmune. These small highly specific, recombinant proteins offer solutions for imaging and detection methodologies beyond the capabilities of traditional antibodies such as microscopy techniques, ELISA, Western Blotting, and flow cytometry. Notably, custom Akyrons® provide research tools for non-model species where antibodies are currently lacking. Next up, Dr Ge Wu (The Pirbright Institute, UK) shared a sophisticated tracheal ring mapping characterisation using the 10X Genomics Visium Spatial Gene Expression platform to better understand the protection afforded by attenuated Infectious Bronchitis Virus vaccines in chickens. Our closing speaker, Dr Marc Faber (Moredun Research Institute, UK) finalised our spatial immunobiology journey with a visual display of immune interactions between the bovine host and Ostertagia ostertagi comparing organoid and native tissue structures using Nanostring GeoMx technology.
We brought our speakers together to generate a lively panel discussion led by our Chairs, Dr Wilhelm Gerner, Dr Amanda Gibson and Dr Ambre Chapuis. Our experienced panel fielded questions on sample preparation per technology used, experimental design, probe cross-reactivity, offered insights on the current status of existing technologies, and opinions on the direction of the field. Our panel discussed the expansion of spatial techniques and resolution coverage moving towards single cell resolution (e.g., 10X Genomics Visium vs, Xenium and Nanostring GeoMx vs. CosMx).
Spatial immunobiology is a field waiting to explode as various technologies advance, nudging us ever closer to increased understanding of the multidimensional context where immune responses and cell-cell interactions take place. We are excited to see where the field takes us!
CVIG committee: Wilhelm Gerner, Amanda Gibson, Rebecca McLean, Ambre Chapuis, Kate Sutton, Lindert Benedictus, Matthew Edmans, Kaylee van Dijk