Multi-modal spatial glycomic analysis of lymphoid aggregates in prostate and pancreatic cancer tissues

Introduction

Altered N-glycosylation plays a critical role in immune regulation, yet the spatial distribution of N-glycans within immune niches of immunologically "cold" tumors remain poorly defined. Here, we combine matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) with highly multiplexed immunohistochemistry using photocleavable mass tags. This integrated workflow enables spatial mapping of N-glycosylation and immune markers within lymphoid aggregates (LAs) in prostate and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissues, two malignancies that respond poorly to immunotherapy. Given the role of N-glycosylation in immune regulation, spatially resolved N-glycan profiling may provide insight into molecular heterogeneity within lymphoid aggregates and their surrounding tumor microenvironment.