Proteomic stabilization of Cynomolgus Macaque blood with PROT-1 for flow cytometric analysis of activated innate and adaptive immune cells after extended storage

Abstract Flow cytometry is a widely used, and rapidly evolving, immunophenotyping application; however, limited advancements around sample stability and preservation continue to strain scientists in resource-limited settings. As flow cytometric samples are labile, data acquisition is generally performed within 24 hours, with traditional fixation methods, to minimize impact to the quality of the analysis. Here, we describe the development of an optimized proteomic stabilization method and 13-color immunophenotyping panel that allows for long-term storage of Cynomolgus Macaque whole blood and retrospective phenotyping of resting and activated populations of innate and adaptive immune cells including T cells, NK cells, B cells, monocytes and dendritic cells. Taken together, these methods highlight a key advancement around flow cytometry sample stability and preservation, allowing for greater resource flexibility without compromising quality of the analysis.