{"id":11297,"date":"2020-05-05T16:21:35","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T15:21:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montpellier-cancer.com\/?page_id=11297"},"modified":"2025-12-22T14:46:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T13:46:37","slug":"cytometry-and-mass-imaging-platform","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/montpellier-cancer.com\/en\/recherche\/plateformes-en-cancerologie\/cytometry-and-mass-imaging-platform\/","title":{"rendered":"Spatial Imaging Mass Cytometry and Transcriptomics \u2013 SIMCaT"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The\u00a0SIMCaT platform<\/strong>\u00a0(Spatial Imaging Mass Cytometry and Transcriptomics), based at the Institut de Recherche en Canc\u00e9rologie de Montpellier (IRCM), is a state\u2011of\u2011the\u2011art spatial biology facility dedicated to tissue analysis at single\u2011cell resolution. It was the first site in France to implement the Hyperion imaging mass cytometry system and now brings together three cutting\u2011edge instruments: the Helios XT mass cytometer, the Hyperion XTi imaging system (Standard BioTools) and the Xenium in situ platform (10x Genomics).\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

Available technologies include: the\u00a0Helios XT<\/strong>, a mass cytometer dedicated to high\u2011dimensional proteomic profiling of cells in suspension; the\u00a0Hyperion XTi<\/strong>, an imaging mass cytometry system that generates spatial protein maps at single\u2011cell level on tissue sections; and\u00a0Xenium<\/strong>\u00a0(10x Genomics), an in situ spatial transcriptomics platform capable of measuring the expression of thousands of genes directly within the tissue architecture.\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

By combining Helios and Hyperion, SIMCaT performs highly multiplexed\u00a0spatial proteomics<\/strong>\u00a0on both cell suspensions and tissue sections, using metal\u2011tagged antibodies detected by mass spectrometry, thereby avoiding the usual constraints of fluorescence such as autofluorescence and spectral overlap. The platform offers complex panels (up to 50 parameters) and an extensive library of validated antibodies for mouse and human samples, enabling in\u2011depth exploration of immune and metabolic compartments within tissues.\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

With the recent acquisition of\u00a0Xenium<\/strong>, SIMCaT has expanded into\u00a0in situ spatial transcriptomics<\/strong>, providing single\u2011cell gene expression maps directly in tissue sections. The combined proteomic\u2013transcriptomic workflow delivers an integrated view of the tumour microenvironment, ideally suited to translational research projects in oncology.\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

A\u00a0unique end\u2011to\u2011end service<\/strong>\u00a0underpins these technologies. Rather than limiting its role to data acquisition, SIMCaT acts as a genuine partner throughout the project lifecycle:<\/p>\n