이미연 (베르티스)

강운범 (베르티스)

이미연 (베르티스)

김현지 (베르티스)

이수민 (메테오바이오텍)

이지혜 (메테오바이오텍)

김혜원 (메테오바이오텍)

홍정우 (메테오바이오텍)

이충원 (메테오바이오텍)

이한별 (서울대학교 의과대학)

강운범 (베르티스)

 Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for approximately 20% of all breast cancer cases and has shown a steady increase in mortality due to its high metastatic potential and lack of targeted therapies. TNBC exhibits cancer stem cell (CSC)-like characteristics at functional, molecular, and transcriptional levels, identified by markers such as CD24, CD44, CD133, and ALDH1. Recently, spatial multi-omics technologies have emerged as powerful tools for high-resolution and unbiased characterization at the single-cell level.

Our study used CSC markers to isolate regions of interest (ROIs) from immunofluorescence-stained TNBC tissue, captured by spatially resolved laser-activated cell sorting (SLACS). ALDH1⁺, CD44⁺, ALDH1⁺/CD44⁺, and ALDH1⁻/CD44⁻ cell populations were isolated and analyzed for proteomic and transcriptomic profiles at the single-cell level. A total of 6,523 proteins and 36,978 genes were identified across ROIs from four groups, followed by bioinformatic analyses to identify differentially expressed proteins and genes. Furthermore, we also performed integrated interpretation using proteome-transcriptome co-profiling.

 In conclusion, the integration of SLACS with mass spectrometry represents a robust and precise strategy for the spatial analysis of ROIs in tissue. These approaches enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor complexity and offer valuable insights for developing subtype-specific preventive and therapeutic strategies