Protein mapping method offers a tissue-wide view for drug development
Researchers have introduced a technique called hex-MASP that charts the positions of thousands of proteins throughout a tissue sample. In a mouse brain, it mapped both therapeutic antibodies and more than 6,000 proteins, allowing scientists to see where drugs reach and how tissue regions respond. The developers say this approach may help identify new drug targets and support safer, more effective treatments.
The method, hex-MASP, uses a 3D-printed array of small six-sided wells to divide a tissue slice into many microsamples while retaining each piece’s original position. Compared with earlier square compartments, the hexagonal design is described as sturdier when pressed into tougher organs such as heart or kidney.
After sampling, ultrasensitive mass spectrometry measures thousands of proteins, and the readings are assembled into separate distribution maps for each. In a mouse brain treated with monoclonal antibodies, the approach charted both the drug and more than 6,000 proteins, connecting where a medicine travels with where its targets and tissue responses appear.
If validated beyond mouse brain, tissue-wide protein and drug maps could help drug developers and clinicians prioritize candidates and spot uneven delivery or unwanted tissue effects earlier. Patients might benefit through better-targeted therapies and fewer surprises in trials, while researchers could use the maps to study disease mechanisms. The near-term effect likely depends on throughput, cost, and whether findings translate from animal models to human tissues.