Mass Cytometry Antibodies
Mass cytometry antibodies are essential reagents employed in mass cytometry for labeling cell surface or intracellular targets. These antibodies are monoclonal in nature and are conjugated to specific metal isotopes. As a fundamental component of multiparameter cellular analysis, mass cytometry antibodies exhibit high specificity, minimal background interference, and broad compatibility. In conventional fluorescence-based flow cytometry, the number of measurable parameters is constrained by spectral overlap and compensation issues associated with fluorescent dyes, making it difficult to simultaneously assess more than 10–15 markers. In contrast, mass cytometry antibodies utilize rare metal isotopes for conjugation, and the resulting signals are detected by mass spectrometry, thereby circumventing the limitations of spectral interference. Because these isotopes are largely absent in biological systems, the background noise is substantially reduced, leading to enhanced signal-to-noise ratios and improved sensitivity and data quality. This technological advantage enables the simultaneous analysis of over 40 cellular markers within a single experiment, facilitating comprehensive profiling of cell subsets, activation states, and signaling pathways. As a result, mass cytometry antibodies serve an indispensable role in the investigation of complex biological systems. In research applications, these antibodies have demonstrated exceptional resolving power across a range of complex biological samples. For instance, in human peripheral blood, researchers can concurrently characterize multiple immune subpopulations—including T cells, B cells, NK cells, monocytes, and dendritic cells—and, by integrating markers for intracellular signaling, cell cycle regulation, and inflammatory mediators, construct dynamic immune response landscapes. In the context of tumor microenvironment studies, mass cytometry antibodies can uncover the frequency and functional status of immunosuppressive cells within tumor tissues, offering insights for the development of immunotherapeutic targets. Moreover, the technology holds significant promise in areas such as stem cell heterogeneity analysis, autoimmune disease monitoring, and vaccine response evaluation.
The preparation and application of mass cytometry antibodies require rigorous quality control and optimized labeling protocols. Selected antibodies must exhibit high specificity and consistent performance across production batches, with well-characterized monoclonal antibodies commonly serving as the foundation. Antibody conjugation to metal isotopes typically employs polymer-based chelation methods, using platforms such as DTPA or MaxPar to stably bind rare earth elements (e.g., neodymium, lanthanum, terbium) to the antibody molecules. Each antibody is uniquely tagged with a specific metal isotope, establishing a one-to-one metal–antibody correspondence that distinguishes this technology from other multiplex labeling strategies. These labeled antibodies are then used to stain single-cell suspensions, which are analyzed on a cell-by-cell basis using a mass cytometer to yield high-dimensional phenotypic data.
Experimental design and panel construction for mass cytometry antibodies demand meticulous planning. Given the finite availability of metal channels, researchers must strategically select antibodies, optimize concentrations, and allocate isotopes to minimize signal crosstalk and non-specific binding. To ensure data comparability and reproducibility, antibody titration is necessary, and the use of reference standards or control cell populations is recommended for inter-batch normalization. With the growing availability of validated antibody databases and commercially available metal-tagged antibodies, the assembly of stable and reproducible mass cytometry panels is becoming increasingly feasible. This development enhances the potential for applying mass cytometry antibodies in multi-center studies and translational clinical research.
MtoZ Biolabs possesses extensive expertise in mass cytometry platform development and antibody screening, and offers customized single-cell mass cytometry analysis services tailored to specific research needs.
MtoZ Biolabs, an integrated chromatography and mass spectrometry (MS) services provider.
Related Services
How to order?
