质谱成像技术在肿瘤空间蛋白质组学研究中的进展与应用

Advances and Applications of Mass Spectrometry Imaging in Tumor Spatial Proteomics Research

  • 摘要: 肿瘤组织呈现高度空间异质性和微环境复杂性,依靠传统转录组与蛋白质组等整体分析方法难以揭示其内部细胞互作与空间分布特征。近年来,具备空间解析能力的空间蛋白质组学方法逐渐兴起,其中非靶向技术可实现全景式检测,但灵敏度和特异性相对不足;传统靶向技术具备多重性与特异性,但受限于通量、定量精度和分辨率。因此,质谱成像技术应运而生,其代表平台包括成像质谱流式、多重离子束成像、基质辅助激光解吸电离质谱成像和二次离子质谱成像等,具备亚细胞级分辨率和多靶标同步定位能力。质谱成像平台的数据获取与分析流程主要包括肿瘤样本标准化制备、标签标记与多重染色、激光或离子束逐点成像、信号预处理、基于机器学习或深度学习的细胞分割与表型注释,以及一阶、二阶与高阶空间结构分析等。大量临床研究表明,质谱成像技术可揭示免疫细胞、肿瘤细胞与基质细胞之间的空间互作模式,识别与预后或治疗反应相关的空间微域,并为肿瘤空间标志物的发现和疗效评估提供依据,从而助力精准治疗策略优化。未来,需要优化高通量采集流程、整合多平台空间组学数据、联用动态时空成像技术,并构建人工智能驱动的统一分析框架,实现肿瘤微环境的多模态检测,进一步推动临床应用转化。

     

    Abstract: Tumor tissues exhibit pronounced spatial heterogeneity and a complex microenvironment, making it difficult for traditional bulk-level analytical approaches such as transcriptomics and proteomics to capture the intricate cellular interactions and spatial distribution patterns within tumors. In recent years, spatial proteomics methods with spatially resolved capabilities have emerged. Nontargeted techniques allow for panoramic molecular detection but are often limited by insufficient sensitivity and specificity, while conventional targeted approaches provide multiplexing capacity and specificity but remain constrained by throughput, quantitative accuracy, and spatial resolution. To overcome these limitations, mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has been developed, with representative platforms including imaging mass cytometry (IMC), multiplex ion beam imaging (MIBI), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) imaging. These platforms offer unique advantages by achieving subcellular-level resolution, enabling simultaneous multi-target quantification, and delivering robust quantitative performance, thereby addressing key challenges in spatial proteomics research. The data acquisition and analysis workflow of MSI typically involves standardized preparation of tumor samples, target-specific labeling and multiplex staining, point-by-point imaging through laser or ion beams, signal preprocessing, machine learning or deep learning-based cell segmentation and phenotype annotation, and higher-order spatial structure analyses. Through these processes, antibody-based MSI enables the detailed mapping of cellular architecture and interactions within tumor tissues. Clinical studies have demonstrated its ability to uncover spatial interaction networks among immune cells, tumor cells, and stromal cells, as well as to identify spatial microdomains associated with prognosis and treatment response. These findings not only contribute to the discovery of tumor spatial biomarkers but also provide valuable evidence for treatment evaluation, ultimately facilitating the optimization of precision oncology strategies. Looking ahead, further advancements will require the optimization of high-throughput data acquisition workflows, integration of multi-platform spatial omics data, incorporation of dynamic spatiotemporal imaging techniques, and the development of unified artificial intelligence-driven analytical frameworks. Together, these innovations will enable multimodal characterization of the tumor microenvironment and accelerate the translation of MSI into clinical applications, thereby advancing personalized cancer diagnosis and therapeutics.

     

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