Multiplexed histology analyses for the phenotypic and spatial characterization of human innate lymphoid cells

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) emerge in the last few years as important regulators of immune responses and biological processes. Although ILCs are mainly known as tissue-resident cells, their precise localization and interactions with the microenvironment are still unclear. Here we combine a multiplexed immunofluorescence technique and a customized computational, open-source analysis pipeline to unambiguously identify CD127+ ILCs in situ and characterize these cells and their microenvironments. Moreover, we reveal the transcription factor IRF4 as a marker for tonsillar ILC3, and identify conserved stromal landmarks characteristic for ILC localization. We also show that CD127+ ILCs share tissue niches with plasma cells in the tonsil. Our work thus provides a platform for multiparametric histological analysis of ILCs to improve our understanding of ILC biology.

Anna Pascual-Reguant, Ralf Köhler, Ronja Mothes, Sandy Bauherr, Daniela C. Hernández, Ralf Uecker, Karolin Holzwarth, Katja Kotsch, Maximilian Seidl, Lars Philipsen, Werner Müller, Chiara Romagnani, Raluca Niesner, Anja E. Hauser