Poster Presentation HUPO 2019 - 18th Human Proteome Organization World Congress

Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) for monitoring of drug response in primary cancer spheroids (#624)

Parul Mittal 1 , Zoe K Price 2 , Noor Alia Lokman 2 , Carmela Ricciardelli 2 , Martin Oehler 3 , Manuela Klingler-Hoffmann 4 , Peter Hoffmann 4
  1. Adelaide Proteomics Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adealaide, SA, Australia
  2. Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Adelaide Medical School, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  3. Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  4. University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia

Malignant ascites is a fluid, which builds up in the abdomen and contains cancer cells in the form of single cells or multicellular clusters called spheroids. Malignant ascites has been observed in patients suffering from ovarian, cervical, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, endometrial or primary liver cancer. The spheroids are believed to play a major role in chemo resistance and metastasis of the cancer. To ease the discomfort of patients, malignant ascites (MA) is often drained from the abdomen using a procedure called paracentesis. MA retrieved via this minimal invasive procedure, is a great source for cancer spheroids, which can be used for testing chemotherapeutic drugs and drug combinations. We have optimised a workflow for concurrent monitoring of drug accumulation, drug response and drug metabolites in cancer spheroids. This new approach might be used to choose the best targeted therapy for each patient and thereby facilitate personalised medicine.