SPEAR Method Maps RNA Modification Changes Across Glioma Tissue at Sub-Millimeter Resolution
Start here
A new method called SPEAR, posted as a preprint in Cancer Biology on bioRxiv, combines laser microdissection with a redesigned LC-MS/MS pipeline to quantitatively profile dozens of RNA modifications from FFPE tissue regions as small as 0.1 mm². Applied to human diffuse gliomas, it resolved the transition from low-grade regions to foci undergoing malignant transformation within single specimens, revealing a coordinated decrease in multiple methylated RNA modifications in higher-grade regions — a signal masked by bulk analysis and reproducible across patients. The work establishes spatial epitranscriptomics as tractable for clinical molecular profiling and biomarker discovery. As a preprint, the findings have not yet undergone peer review, and clinical application of the method remains untested.
Written by a model from the reports · updated 2 hours ago
Coverage timeline
Follow the coverage to see the different angles.
- biorxiv.orgSPEAR: Spatial Epitranscriptomic Analysis by Mass Spectrometry Reveals Localized RNA Modification Remodeling During Glioma Progression
SPEAR couples laser microdissection with a redesigned LC-MS/MS pipeline to quantitatively profile dozens of RNA modifications from FFPE tissue regions as small as 0.1 mm2. In human diffuse gliomas, it resolved the transition from low-grade regions to foci undergoing malignant transformation within single specimens, revealing a coordinated decrease in multiple methylated RNA modifications in higher-grade regions, a signal masked by bulk analysis and reproducible across patients. The method establishes spatial epitranscriptomics as tractable for clinical molecular profiling and biomarker discovery.
Heat trend for this story
Not enough continuous observation yet to draw a trend.