VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology (CCB)

Spatial Metabolomics

Headed by: Dr Planque Mélanie

e-mail: melanie.planque@kuleuven.vib.be

location: Campus Gasthuisberg; O&N4; 8th floor; office 08.133

 

The Spatial Metabolomics Expertise Center is a research platform that collaborates with scientists from the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology, as well as external universities and private companies, to support research in the biological, pharmaceutical, and medical fields. Our Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MSI) platform enables mapping the spatial distribution of metabolites, drugs, and proteins in tissue sections using state-of-the-art technologies and equipment.

Bulk metabolomics techniques require the extraction of homogenized tissue samples, which prevents the ability to obtain spatial distribution and preserve the architecture of metabolism. MSI, on the other hand, allows for a deeper understanding of small molecules, lipids, and protein profiles in situ at the single-cell level.

MSI revolutionizes research by providing spatial information within tissue or organ sections. The Spatial Metabolomics Center offers the highest level of expertise to support your research, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment: Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI-MSI). Each MSI experiment allows the simultaneous detection of hundreds of molecules, which can be combined with H&E staining, RNAscope, and other multi-omics techniques on the same tissue section. Integrating Spatial Metabolomics with other Expertise Center platforms is one of our primary goals, ensuring the best possible support for your research.

Our mission:

  • Provide high-quality service, training, and support for integrating MS imaging data into your field of expertise.
  • Detect hundreds of molecules, including metabolites, free fatty acids, lipids, and drugs.
  • Generate high-quality data using state-of-the-art equipment.
  • Produce mass spectrometry images of tissue sections with high spatial resolution, down to 5 µm.
  • Confirm MSI metabolite identification using MS/MS or LC-MS.
  • Develop innovative methods tailored to your research needs.
  • Integrate Spatial Metabolomics with other multi-omics platforms.
  • Combination of spatial metabolomics/lipidomics with target proteomics (Ambergen) on the same tissue section
Go to the Spatial Metabolomics Roadmap

In-house equipment

TimsTOFfleX Maldi II (Bruker) and MALDI Select Serie MRT (Waters)

Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI-MSI) is a soft ionization technique that provides spatial visualization of metabolites within a tissue without causing its deterioration. A matrix is applied directly to the tissue section to form co-crystals with the metabolites. During laser radiation absorption, the matrix is ionized, transferring charges to the analytes and resulting in their desorption and ionization. The choice of matrix affects the ionization efficiency of different metabolites and the acquisition mode (negative or positive).

The TimsTOFfleX MALDI II also has a second laser for post-ionization to improve the sensitivity of some compounds which is ideal for low abundance metabolites/lipids. 

Mass spectrometry imaging techniques alone cannot separate compounds with the same or highly similar mass-to-charge ratios (m/z). The Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometer (TIMS) employs ion mobility spectrometry to provide orthogonal separation, allowing for the differentiation of compounds with identical m/z values.

Data Analysis

The TimsTOFfleX Maldi II allows the simultaneous measurement of hundreds of molecules with a high scan speed. We developed a method enabling the simultaneous detection of crucial metabolomics pathways: 

  • TCA cycle intermediate
  • Glycolysis / Pentose phosphate pathway 
  • Amino acids: Glutamine, Glutamic acid, aspartic acid, 
  • Nucleotides
  • Free fatty acids
  • and many others

To ensure the reliability and reproducibility of your results, a custom library has been established by combining metabolites and lipids with the same mass-to-charge ratio (e.g., glucose, fructose, inositol) and similar m/z ratios that cannot be discriminated by the instrument’s resolution.

For each metabolite, you will receive a JPEG file showing its distribution within the tissue. To facilitate data interpretation, a PDF file summarizing all data organized by pathway will also be provided.

The Spatial Metabolomics Expertise Center collaborates closely with other Expertise Center units (Bioinformatics, Spatial-Omics) at VIB-KU Leuven to ensure the best interpretation of your results. After staining, you can directly annotate regions of interest (e.g., metastasis, cell types), and together, we will generate box plots and heat maps for metabolite quantification of identified regions (e.g., Q-Path annotation of H&E staining) within tissue samples and/or between conditions.

Looking forward to collaborating with you on your project! For more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Team