Oncology

Nanoscopic Proteomics for Mechanistic Cancer Biology

Discover protein networks within nanoscale cellular structures and provide mechanistic insights directly in FFPE tumor tissue

Cancer progression and therapeutic response are governed by spatially restricted protein networks within defined subcellular microenvironments, including signaling complexes, tumor–immune interfaces, and specialized organelles. 

Microscoop® enables nanoscopic proteomics guided by microscopy, allowing researchers to precisely capture the proteome of user defined regions of interest in cells and FFPE tumor tissue. 

This capability allows scientists to uncover functional regulators of cancer biology that can be translated into patient-relevant outcomes.

Key Questions in Cancer Biology:

What proteins assemble at the tumor-immune interface during immune activation or suppression?
What localized signaling complexes drive oncogenic signaling?
How does the mitochondrial proteome change during tumor progression or drug treatment?
What proteins compose oncogenic condensates and signaling hubs?
Which proteins are enriched on the tumor cell surface!
How do subcellular protein networks change in response to targeted therapies?

Microscoop enables proteomic discovery within microscopy-defined subcellular regions, allowing researchers to investigate protein networks that drive cancer biology.

Mechanistic Applications

01

Tumor Microenvironment & Immune Interactions

Tumor progression and therapeutic response are shaped by interactions between cancer cells and their surrounding microenvironment. These processes are mediated through highly localized interfaces and signaling networks. 

  • Tumor–immune synapse biology  
  • Immune evasion mechanisms  
  • Stromal and microenvironment signaling 

Microscoop enables proteomic analysis of tumor–immune contact regions in cells and FFPE tumor tissue, providing insight into molecular mechanisms governing immune responses.

02

Intratumoral Heterogeneity & Spatial Biology

Tumors are composed of diverse cell populations organized across spatial gradients that influence disease progression and treatment response. 

  • Cell-state diversity  
  • Spatial gradients (e.g., hypoxia, necrosis)  
  • Rare and resistant cell populations 

Microscoop enables proteomic discovery within microscopy-defined tissue regions, allowing identification of known and novel tumor surface proteins.

03

Subcellular & Organelle-Level Dysfunction

Many cancer-driving mechanisms occur within nanoscale cellular structures that regulate signaling, metabolism, and transcription. 

  • Mitochondria, lysosome, and ER stress  
  • Protein aggregates and condensates  
  • Nuclear domains and signaling hubs 

Microscoop enables in situ proteomic analysis of precisely defined regions—such as mitochondrial interfaces and fluorescently labeled condensates—allowing researchers to uncover the protein networks that drive these mechanisms.

04

Translational Oncology Biomarker Discovery & Drug Development

Connecting mechanistic insights to clinically actionable  outcomes requires studying protein networks directly in disease-relevant tissue contexts. 

  • Target discovery and validation  
  • Drug mechanism of action and pathway engagement 
  • Spatial biomarkers in FFPE and clinical samples  
  • Cell surface proteomics and therapeutic targeting 

Microscoop enables nanoscopic proteomics within FFPE tumor sections, allowing direct interrogation of  protein networks in patient derived tissue with preserved spatial context.

NEW PUBLICATION

PHF19 drives the formation of PRC2 clusters to enhance motility in TNBC cells

Pelzer, Nina et al.
Cell Reports, Volume 44, Issue 10, 116391