MALDI mass spectrometry technologies for investigating tumor metabolism

Cancer treatments that stimulate the immune system, called immunotherapies, have shown promise in fighting cancer. However, the success of immunotherapy depends on many factors, including tumor’s metabolism and the surrounding environment—the tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME is a complex mix of different cell types, including those that support the tumor’s growth and others that fight it. Cancer cells change the way they use energy and build new molecules, which creates a unique metabolic signature. This metabolic signature can affect how well immune cells called tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can attack the tumor. Tumors that have TILs, called ‘hot’ tumors, usually have better outcomes for patients than tumors without TILs, called ‘cold’ tumors. By understanding the metabolic differences between ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ TMEs, we can develop more effective immunotherapies. To study the metabolic profiles of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ TMEs, we need highly sensitive techniques like mass spectrometry (MS). One powerful MS technique is matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging (MALDI-MSI), which can create detailed maps of the distribution of metabolites within the TME. The goal of this proposed research project is to improve the sensitivity of MALDI-MSI so that it can be used to detect biologically important metabolites in ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ TME.

Faculty Supervisor:

David Goodlett

Student:

Partner:

BC Cancer

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Victoria

Program: