# Advanced Development of Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Intraoperative Molecular Diagnosis of Brain Cancer using Pathology Biopsies

> **NIH NIH R33** · PURDUE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $378,398

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Gliomas are aggressive brain cancers. Treatment is surgical resection of the tumor supplemented by radio
and chemotherapy. Patient prognosis is best when gross total tumor resection is achieved. However, gross
total resection is a challenge for gliomas that diffuse extensively and microscopically into the adjacent normal
brain parenchyma. Neurosurgeons augment their ability to visualize tumorous tissue though imaging
technology like MRI, 5ALA (contrast agent), and/or OCT (optical coherence tomography technique to visualize
cancer) that enhances contrast of physical structures associated with the diseased tissue. Because details and
spatial information are limited, especially when approaching the periphery of the tumor, there is significant
need for the development of alternative approaches that can complement imaging modalities by providing
microscopic observation of pathological features of tissue and guide resection maneuvers; there is a need to
determine intraoperative pathological molecular characteristics to determine how thorough the resection should
be and/or future local therapies to be considered at the time of surgery. The traditional approach to assess
tissue pathology is the optical observation of cellular morphology through microscopy but it has limited
applicability during surgery because it requires time-consuming laboratory testing and it gives the surgeon no
intraoperative molecular information. We propose the use of desorption electrospray ionization mass
spectrometry (DESI-MS) as an intraoperative pathology tool to provide diagnostic and prognostic information
that can improve the surgical decision-making process. DESI-MS detects the underlying molecular changes
occurring in cancerous cells and tissue and can do so within minutes working on minimally processed tissue
smears. DESI sprays tissue with a mist of charged droplets to generate and then mass-measure ions. We
target 2-hydroxyglutarate to assess the presence of IDH mutations in the tissue and membrane phospholipids
and N-acetylaspartate to estimate tumor infiltration (i.e. tumor cell percentage), at locations of particular interest
to the surgeon. Neither measurement is provided in current surgical or diagnostic protocols, but these
compounds are markers associated with improved surgical outcomes and best patient prognosis. This
proposal seeks to test intraoperative DESI-MS during surgical glioma resection cases executed at Mayo
Clinic under the supervision of PIs Quiñones-Hinojosa and Chaichana to (i) further the development of the
DESI-MS technology, the feasibility of which was demonstrated in a preliminary intraoperative study conducted
at Indiana University School of Medicine under PI Cooks, (ii) collect an extensive set of data that will allow us
to strongly link intraoperative molecular findings with preoperative imaging and postoperative diagnostics for
validation, and (iii) set the foundation of follow-up clinical studies measuring prognostic uti...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10130466
- **Project number:** 5R33CA240181-02
- **Recipient organization:** PURDUE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Kaisorn Lee Chaichana
- **Activity code:** R33 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $378,398
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-04-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10130466

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10130466, Advanced Development of Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Intraoperative Molecular Diagnosis of Brain Cancer using Pathology Biopsies (5R33CA240181-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10130466. Licensed CC0.

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