Mass spectrometry imaging technique to study drug distribution in different tumor tissue

Abstract

Most anticancer drugs have limited penetration into tumor tissues, which contributes to their low efficacy, making the anticancer therapy difficult. Pharmacokinetic studies have been conducted using HPLC-MS techniques, measuring plasma drug concentration, assuming it is in equilibrium with tissue concentration, however drug penetration into the tumor depends on its microenvironment, that may be hindering the efficient drug penetration on it. Therefore, the technique of mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has the advantage of having good spatial resolution, integration with histological data and can show in detail the distribution of the drug in the tumor tissue. The MSI techniques include Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI), which retains the morphological information of the tissue, help to understand the poor drug delivery, part of the drug resistance problem of certain tumors, has potential to elucidate the molecular basis of different structures in tissues and to explain variations of responses in different patients. This makes possible to optimize the delivery and efficacy of drugs, contributing to the creation of new therapeutic strategies aimed at modifying tumor microenvironment or altering drug properties to facilitate drug uptake. Some strategies to increase drug penetration into the tissue are being developed, such as the use of proteases including collagenase or hyaluronidase, which degrade the hyaluronic acid and collagen, increasing drug penetration into tumors. (AU)