SUMMARY Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) manifests as phenotypically and functionally diverse cells, often within the same patient. Intratumor phenotypic and functional heterogeneity have been linked primarily by physical sorting experiments, which assume that functionally distinct subpopulations can be prospectively isolated by surface phenotypes. This assumption has proven problematic and we therefore developed a data-driven approach. Using mass cytometry, we profiled surface and intracellular signaling proteins simultaneously in millions of healthy and leukemic cells. We developed PhenoGraph, which algorithmically defines phenotypes in high-dimensional single-cell data. PhenoGraph revealed that the surface phenotypes of leukemic blasts do not necessarily reflect their intracellular state. Using hematopoietic progenitors, we defined a signaling-based measure of cellular phenotype, which led to isolation of a gene expression signature that was predictive of survival in independent cohorts. This study presents new methods for large-scale analysis of single-cell heterogeneity and demonstrates their utility, yielding insights into AML pathophysiology.

Mass cytometry uses atomic mass spectrometry combined with isotopically pure reporter elements to currently measure as many as 40 parameters per single cell. As with any quantitative technology, there is a fundamental need for quality assurance and normalization protocols. In the case of mass cytometry, the signal variation over time due to changes in instrument performance combined with intervals between scheduled maintenance must be accounted for and then normalized. Here, samples were mixed with polystyrene beads embedded with metal lanthanides, allowing monitoring of mass cytometry instrument performance over multiple days of data acquisition. The protocol described here includes simultaneous measurements of beads and cells on the mass cytometer, subsequent extraction of the bead-based signature, and the application of an algorithm enabling correction of both short- and long-term signal fluctuations. The variation in the intensity of the beads that remains after normalization may also be used to determine data quality. Application of the algorithm to a one-month longitudinal analysis of a human peripheral blood sample reduced the range of median signal fluctuation from 4.9-fold to 1.3-fold.

Improved insight into cancer cell populations responsible for relapsed disease will lead to better outcomes for patients. Here, we report a single-cell study of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia at diagnosis that revealed hidden developmentally dependent cell signaling states uniquely associated with relapse. With mass cytometry, we simultaneously quantified 35 B-cell developmental proteins in 60 primary diagnostic samples. Each leukemia cell was then matched to it’s nearest healthy B-cell population by a developmental classifier that operated at the single-cell level. Machine learning identified 6 features of expanded leukemic populations sufficient to predict patient relapse at diagnosis. These features implicated pro-BII cells with activated mTOR signaling, and pre-BI cells with activated and unresponsive pre-B-cell receptor signaling, to be associated with relapse. This model, termed Developmentally Dependent Predictor of Relapse (DDPR), significantly improves currently established risk stratification methods. DDPR features exist at diagnosis and persist at relapse. Leveraging a data-driven approach, we demonstrate the predictive value of single-cell ‘omics’ for patient stratification in a translational setting and provide a framework for application in human cancers.