Rapid determination of the tumour stroma ratio in squamous cell carcinomas with desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS): a proof-of-concept demonstration

Michael Woolman; Alessandra Tata; Delaram Dara; Jalna Meens; Elisa D'Arcangelo; Consuelo J. Perez; Shamina Saiyara Prova; Emma Bluemke; Howard J. Ginsberg; Demian Ifa; Alison McGuigan; Laurie Ailles; Arash Zarrine-Afsar

doi:10.1039/C7AN00830A

Rapid determination of the tumour stroma ratio in squamous cell carcinomas with desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS): a proof-of-concept demonstration†

Michael Woolman,^ab Alessandra Tata,^a Delaram Dara,^a Jalna Meens,^b Elisa D'Arcangelo,^c Consuelo J. Perez,^d Shamina Saiyara Prova,^d Emma Bluemke,^a Howard J. Ginsberg,^acef Demian Ifa,^d Alison McGuigan,^ce Laurie Ailles^bg and Arash Zarrine-Afsar

*^abfh

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Techna Institute for the Advancement of Technology for Health, University Health Network, 100 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada

^b Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
E-mail: arash.zarrine.afsar@utoronto.ca

^c Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada

^d Department of Chemistry, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, Canada

^e Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada

^f Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, 149 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada

^g Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, 101 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada

^h Keenan Research Center for Biomedical Science & the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, ON, Canada

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinomas constitute a major class of head & neck cancers, where the tumour stroma ratio (TSR) carries prognostic information. Patients affected by stroma-rich tumours exhibit a poor prognosis and a higher chance of relapse. As such, there is a need for a technology platform that allows rapid determination of the tumour stroma ratio. In this work, we provide a proof-of-principle demonstration that Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (DESI-MS) can be used to determine tumour stroma ratios. Slices from three independent mouse xenograft tumours from the human FaDu cell line were subjected to DESI-MS imaging, staining and detailed analysis using digital pathology methods. Using multivariate statistical methods we compared the MS profiles with those of isolated stromal cells. We found that m/z 773.53 [PG(18:1)(18:1) − H]⁻, m/z 835.53 [PI(34:1) − H]⁻ and m/z 863.56 [PI(18:1)(18:0) − H]⁻ are biomarker ions that can distinguish FaDu cancer from cancer associated fibroblast (CAF) cells. A comparison with DESI-MS analysis of controlled mixtures of the CAF and FaDu cells showed that the abundance of the biomarker ions above can be used to determine, with an error margin of close to 5% compared with quantitative pathology estimates, TSR values. This proof-of-principle demonstration is encouraging and must be further validated using human samples and a larger sample base. At maturity, DESI-MS thus may become a stand-alone molecular pathology tool providing an alternative rapid cancer assessment without the need for time-consuming staining and microscopy methods, potentially further conserving human resources.

Analyst

Rapid determination of the tumour stroma ratio in squamous cell carcinomas with desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS): a proof-of-concept demonstration†

Abstract

Associated articles

Supplementary files

Article information

Download Citation

Permissions

Rapid determination of the tumour stroma ratio in squamous cell carcinomas with desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS): a proof-of-concept demonstration

Social activity

Search articles by author

Spotlight

Advertisements