The 10x Genomics Xenium Analyzer is a cutting-edge, fully integrated platform for high-performance, imaging-based in situ spatial transcriptomics. It enables researchers to perform highly sensitive, high-throughput targeted gene expression profiling at subcellular resolution, providing a powerful tool for uncovering the molecular and spatial complexity of tissue architecture.
Xenium leverages targeted, high-plex in situ analysis to simultaneously detect and map hundreds to thousands of RNA transcripts alongside multiplexed protein markers within the same tissue section. This allows for detailed characterization of cellular phenotypes and their spatial relationships. Compatible with both fresh frozen (FF) and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues, Xenium also enables the use of precious archived samples, including clinical biopsies from pediatric cancer patients.
For childhood cancer research, the Xenium Analyzer offers a transformative advantage. Pediatric tumors often exhibit distinct biological features compared to adult cancers, such as low mutational burden, unique cellular origins, and highly dynamic tumor microenvironments. Understanding these complexities requires tools that can capture not only what genes are expressed but also where they are expressed in the context of surrounding cells and tissue structures. Xenium makes this possible.
Using Xenium, researchers can:
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Precisely map tumor heterogeneity, identifying different cell populations—including cancer stem-like cells, immune cells, and stromal components—within the tumor microenvironment.
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Track rare cell infiltrates or metastatic cells that may contribute to relapse or treatment resistance.
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Characterize tumor-immune interactions, which is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of immune evasion in pediatric cancers and informing immunotherapy strategies.
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Identify biomarkers linked to prognosis, therapeutic response, or resistance by directly observing expression patterns within their native histological context.
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Utilize archival tissue samples from pediatric patients to build spatial expression atlases that can guide new hypotheses and validate findings from other platforms.
By enabling researchers to visualize and quantify gene and protein expression at single-cell resolution within intact tissues, Xenium empowers studies that surpass the limitations of bulk or single-cell dissociation methods. This spatial context is crucial in pediatric oncology, where tissue architecture, developmental context, and cell signaling pathways play pivotal roles in determining tumor behavior and therapeutic response.
In summary, the Xenium Analyzer will accelerate discoveries in childhood cancer research by providing deep, spatially resolved insights into tumor biology—helping researchers develop more targeted, effective, and less toxic therapies for children with cancer.
Learn more about the Greehey CCRI Genome Sequencing Facility (GSF)