One section, two worlds: single-cell integration of MALDI-MSI and spatial transcriptomics on the same single tissue section
Tim Hendriks, Gert B. Eijkel, Theodoros Visvikis, Benjamin Balluff, Ron M. A. Heeren, Eva Cuypers
Abstract
Understanding tissue complexity requires spatially resolved multi-omics data at single-cell resolution. Here, we present a workflow integrating high-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) with Xenium spatial transcriptomics (SPT) on a single tissue section. This strategy ensures pixel-scale spatial correspondence between metabolic and transcriptomic features, avoiding misalignment issues of serial sections, where even minor offsets result in sampling different cells. We investigated MALDI-MSI compatibility with downstream SPT revealing that the number of transcripts per cell decreased by ~ 30% after MSI, whilst cell recovery and cell-type assignments are preserved. Validated using mouse brain and demonstrated using human glioblastoma tissues, we achieved pixel-scale modality co-registration, enabling per-cell MALDI spectra extraction aligned with gene expression. Integrated clustering revealed enhanced cell-type resolution and identified metabolic heterogeneity within transcriptionally defined populations. This facilitates precise correlations of a cell's function and its biochemical state, providing a holistic view of cellular function, heterogeneity, and interaction in health and disease. Our workflow provides a scalable path to multi-omic atlases, advancing both data integration and translational research.