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Biomarker Identification in Liver Cancers Using Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (DESI-MS) Imaging: An Approach for Spatially Resolved Metabolomics

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Liver Carcinogenesis

Abstract

Liver cancers are characterized by interindividual and intratumoral heterogeneity, which makes early diagnosis and the development of therapies challenging. Desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) imaging is a potent and sensitive MS ionization technique for direct, unaltered 2D and 3D imaging of metabolites in complex biological samples. Indeed, DESI gently desorbs and ionizes analyte molecules from the sample surface using an electrospray source of highly charged aqueous spray droplets in ambient conditions. DESI-MS imaging of biological samples allows untargeted analysis and characterization of metabolites in liver cancers to identify new biomarkers of malignancy. In this chapter, we described a detailed protocol using liver cancer samples collected and stored for histopathology examination, either as frozen or as formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens. Such hepatocellular carcinoma samples can be subjected to DESI-MS analyses, illustrating the capacity of spatially resolved metabolomics to distinguish malignant lesions from adjacent normal liver tissue.

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Acknowledgments

GK is supported by the Ligue contre le Cancer (équipe labellisée); Agence National de la Recherche (ANR) – Projets blancs; AMMICa US23/CNRS UMS3655; Association pour la recherche sur le cancer (ARC); Cancéropôle Ile-de-France; Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM); a donation by Elior; Equipex Onco-Pheno-Screen; European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases (EJPRD); Gustave Roussy Odyssea, the European Union Horizon 2020 Projects Oncobiome and CRIMSON (grant agreement No. 101016923); Fondation Carrefour; Institut National du Cancer (INCa); Institut Universitaire de France; LabEx Immuno-Oncology (ANR-18-IDEX-0001); a Cancer Research ASPIRE Award from the Mark Foundation; the RHU Immunolife; Seerave Foundation; SIRIC Stratified Oncology Cell DNA Repair and Tumor Immune Elimination (SOCRATE); and SIRIC Cancer Research and Personalized Medicine (CARPEM). This study contributes to the IdEx Université de Paris ANR-18-IDEX-0001. HC and SL are supported by the China Scholarship Council (CSC, file n°. 201908070134 and file n° 201907060011, respectively). UN-R is supported by Axudas de apoio á etapa de formación posdoutoral da Xunta de Galicia – GAIN. N°Expediente: IN606B-2021/015.

Conflicts of Interest

GK has been holding research contracts with Daiichi Sankyo, Eleor, Kaleido, Lytix Pharma, PharmaMar, Osasuna Therapeutics, Samsara Therapeutics, Sanofi, Sotio, Tollys, Vascage, and Vasculox/Tioma. GK has been consulting for Reithera. GK is on the Board of Directors of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation France. GK is a scientific co-founder of everImmune, Osasuna Therapeutics, Samsara Therapeutics, and Therafast Bio. GK is the inventor of patents covering therapeutic targeting of aging, cancer, cystic fibrosis, and metabolic disorders.

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Correspondence to Isabelle Martins .

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Chen, H. et al. (2024). Biomarker Identification in Liver Cancers Using Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (DESI-MS) Imaging: An Approach for Spatially Resolved Metabolomics. In: Kroemer, G., Pol, J., Martins, I. (eds) Liver Carcinogenesis. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2769. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3694-7_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3694-7_15

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-3693-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-3694-7

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