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. 2025 Apr;417(10):2039-2046.
doi: 10.1007/s00216-025-05785-4. Epub 2025 Feb 20.

Comprehensive MALDI mass spectrometry imaging of tumor regions post-neoadjuvant therapy

Hui Xu #  1 , Qian Zhang #  1   2 , Jie Yuan #  2 , Jianfeng Xu  3 , Jian Sui  4 , Jia Liu  5   6
Affiliations

Comprehensive MALDI mass spectrometry imaging of tumor regions post-neoadjuvant therapy

Hui Xu et al. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2025 Apr.

Abstract

The spatial metabolic analysis of tumor tissues following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is critical for understanding chemotherapy-induced metabolic changes. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) offers a powerful tool for revealing spatially resolved metabolic profiles within tissues. However, necrotic regions in post-NAC tissues are fragile, creating challenges for sample preparation and MALDI MSI analysis. In this study, we introduce an optimized workflow employing conductive tape to stabilize tissue samples during sectioning and MALDI MSI analysis, preserving necrotic areas while maintaining tissue integrity. Using this technique, we successfully mapped metabolic alterations across necrotic and viable regions of post-NAC tumor tissues, providing new insights into metabolic changes that occur after chemotherapy. Our findings establish MALDI MSI as a valuable tool for spatially resolved metabolomics in post-NAC tumor tissues, offering insights into chemotherapy-induced metabolic changes.

Keywords: Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometer; Necrotic region; Neoadjuvant chemotherapy; Spatial metabolomics.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval: This study was conducted in accordance with ethical standards. The use of human tissue was approved by the Ethics Committee of Huashan Hospital, Fudan University (HIRB: 2017M-003), and informed consent was obtained from the patient. All animal procedures complied with the National Research Council guidelines and were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Source of biological material: Quality control (QC) samples were obtained from 6-week-old male C57 BL/6 mice, provided by the Animal Service Center at Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences. A tissue sample containing necrotic regions from a patient with colorectal cancer liver metastasis following NAC was collected at Huashan Hospital (Shanghai, China) with informed patient consent. Animal welfare statement: All animal procedures complied with the National Research Council guidelines and were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of the institute. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests.

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