Performance differences in spatial transcriptomics platforms identify Treg biology in human inflammatory bowel disease [CosMx]

However, a biologically validated comparison of leading single-cell-level spatial transcriptomics platforms to guide scientists is lacking in the field. Using intestinal biopsies (n = 40) from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) of varying disease states and disease locations and non-diseased controls, we systematically compared two imaging based spatial transcriptomics platforms (CosMx and Xenium) to guide translational work for two NIDDK supported IBD consortiums and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Plexus Biorepository.

In vitro experiments were conducted to validate key biologic findings. We present a comprehensive data resource of over 1.5 million spatially profiled intestinal cells from healthy and IBD samples. We observed CosMx to have overall better data quality than Xenium in both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease across the full spectrum of commercially available panels.