Mass cytometry to characterize the immune lung cancer microenvironment.

The human tumor microenvironment requires use of high-dimensional single-cell tools to uncover its cellular complexity and functional variety. For decades, flow cytometry has been the technology of choice to explore immune cell diversity in different pathological contexts. Recently, a new format for flow cytometry - termed mass cytometry - has been developed. It allows for simultaneous interrogation of more than 40 different molecular markers, without the need for spectral compensation, which significantly augments the ability of cytometry to evaluate complex cellular systems and processes. Currently, different multiparametric single-cell analysis approaches are being widely adopted to interrogate the human tumor microenvironment. However, important challenges must be addressed when solid tissues are analyzed by single-cell technologies. This protocol describes the challenge and better use of single-cell mass cytometry to dissect tumor infiltrating leukocytes from surgically resected tumoral lung tissues.