Simplified mass cytometry protocol for in-plate staining, barcoding, and cryopreservation of human PBMC samples in clinical trials.

With the increasing use of mass cytometry in clinical research, a simplified and standardized protocol for immunophenotyping human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in clinical trials is needed. We present a simplified in-plate staining protocol for up to 80 samples, for laboratories of all mass cytometry expertise levels, aimed to generate reproducible datasets for large clinical cohorts. In this protocol, we provide details on the requirements to obtain meaningful results, spanning from sample quality, barcoding, and batch-freezing of stained samples.