Pre-Conference 4
4. Workshop Spectral Cytometry in Clinical Practice: Applications and Insights
Co-facilitators: Thomas Matthes, Geneva, Switzerland & Mikaël Roussel, Rennes, France (on behalf of the French group CytHem)
Description of the workshops (with the content the objectives of the workshops), 250 words maximum:
Spectral cytometry is increasingly being introduced into clinical laboratories, offering the possibility of expanding multiparameter immunophenotyping while addressing the requirements of clinical diagnostics and measurable residual disease (MRD) assessment. Translating spectral cytometry into clinical practice, however, requires careful panel design, validation, acquisition, quality control and appropriate data analysis.
In this workshop, the speakers will share their practical experience of implementing spectral cytometry in clinical and translational hematology. The course will introduce the fundamental principles of spectral cytometry, with a particular focus on practical considerations for designing and validating multicolor panels for clinical applications.
Through real-world examples, the speakers will illustrate the development and evaluation of mid-size spectral panels for hematologic malignancies. Applications will include MRD assessment in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), with a 14-color spectral assay developed in the context of a clinical trial, as well as a 20-color panel for the diagnosis and characterization of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).
The workshop will also address practical aspects of panel validation and quality control, before introducing approaches for the analysis of high-dimensional spectral data, including unsupervised methods, and discussing their potential and limitations in a clinical setting.
By the end of the workshop, participants will have a better understanding of how to design, validate and evaluate spectral cytometry panels and how to approach the analysis of complex spectral datasets in clinical hematology.
Knowledge requirements:
Beginner level. No prior experience with spectral cytometry is required. Basic knowledge of flow cytometry and hematologic malignancies is recommended.
Program:
- Introduction: From spectral cytometry to clinical practice
- Spectral cytometry: principles and panel design
- Panel validation and quality control for clinical applications
- MRD in ALL: from current standard approaches to a 14-color spectral assay in a clinical trial
- Testing and validating a 20-color spectral panel for AML and MDS analysis
- From high-dimensional data to clinically relevant information: unsupervised analysis of spectral cytometry data.