Guest speaker:
Erin H. Seeley, PhD
Protea Biosciences
Mass spectrometry imaging is a technique in which tissue sections similar to those used for histological staining are interrogated for their chemical information without the need for target specific reagents such as antibodies. It can be used to map the spatial distribution and relative abundance of endogenous molecules such as proteins, peptides, and lipids as well as exogenous molecules such as chemotherapeutics. Hundreds of molecules can be analyzed from a single tissue section. Mass spectrometry imaging has a wealth of applications in the clinical oncology field including:
-Improving diagnosis through molecular signatures coupled with standard histology
-Interrogation of tumor microenvironment for indicators of metastasis or recurrence
-Determining if your drug is reaching the tumor and at what levels
-Determining protein/lipid markers predictive of or changing in response to therapy
-Identification of biomarkers that correlate with disease progression