Abstract 239: Integrated computational image analysis of cellular and acellular tissue components as a method for detailed tumor tissue mapping and structural patterns recognition

Tumor microenvironment (TME) represents an integrated system that affects cancer cell behavior and contributes directly to disease outcome. Systemic approach to analysis of TME should uncover its complexity and facilitate discovery of mechanisms orchestrating tumor development and metastasis. Multiplex fluorescence tissue staining followed by spatial analysis of tumor tissue architecture can provide insights to pivotal interactions of cellular and acellular components of TME. Extracellular matrix (ECM is represented mainly by collagen deposition. Number of reports indicates that ECM contribution to TME state not only depends upon amount of accumulated collagen but its geometrical features and spatial orientation of fibers. These characteristics of collagen fibers contribute directly to physical and mechanical properties of tissue and can change tumor growth and metastasis. Current methods of computational image analysis of tissue implement assessment of cellular or acellular components separately. The goal of current work was to develop a new computational tool to perform integrated analysis of fibrous and cellular components of tumor tissue in spatial dependent manner to achieve detailed tumor tissue mapping and structural patterns recognition. To pursue this goal, we generated images of human lung adenocarcinoma tissue characterized by indolent and aggressive behavior. We performed multiplex immunofluorescence staining for following markers: CD3 - marker of T-lymphocytes, PanCytokeratin - marker of epithelial/tumor cells, collagen hybridizing peptide (3Helix) - marker of collagen, DAPI - nuclear counterstain. To develop image analysis pipeline, we utilized an open source graphical interface analytical platform KNIME, where we generated modular workflow. For ECM analysis, we integrated Python written code into KNIME node. Segmentation of collagen fibers was performed using skeletonization with subsequent calculation of geometrical properties (length, alignment, widths) and orientation of each fiber. Data, collected from single cell analysis and ECM architecture assessment, were combined and forwarded to downstream spatial analysis, where distances from cell to cell or cell to ECM were computed and neighborhood analysis was performed. We demonstrated that tumor cells in aggressive adenocarcinoma samples were co-localized with a smaller number of collagen fibers. In addition, length of that fibers was less in comparison to indolent group. Correlation analysis revealed positive correlation between length of collagen fibers and number of tumor cells in indolent group, but we did not observe this phenomenon in indolent group. Developed computational method provides additional dimensionality to tissue image analysis and can reveal underrecognized structural patterns of the tumor microenvironment. Citation Format: Georgii Vasiukov, Tatiana Novitskaya, Maria-Fernanda Senosain, Anna Menshikh, Andries Zijlstra, Sergey Novitskiy, Pierre Massion. Integrated computational image analysis of cellular and acellular tissue components as a method for detailed tumor tissue mapping and structural patterns recognition [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 239.