New laboratory reveals the hidden world of tissue

At the heart of the laboratory is a NanoString GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler, an instrument that combines microscopic imaging with molecular analysis. Researchers can select specific areas within a tissue section and measure gene and protein expression at the single cell level. The result is an image where anatomy and biology come together – showing not only the structure of the tissue, but also what the cells are doing.

“This technology gives us the ability to truly understand tissue. We can link molecular changes to the structural context of the tissue and observe how diseases develop at the single cell level, within the body,” says Jörg Hanrieder, professor of neurochemistry, who has led the establishment of the laboratory.

Carefully chosen location

The instrument was purchased through Jörg Hanrieder’s grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is being established in collaboration among researchers in pathology, biomolecular imaging, clinical genomics, and laboratory medicine. The new laboratory is located within the Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, adjacent to both the advanced histological scanner for digital pathology and the existing pathology laboratory.

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“The location was carefully chosen. Producing high-quality tissue sections is an essential prerequisite for this technology. Here, all the necessary expertise and infrastructure are gathered – from tissue preparation to analysis,” says Martin Johansson, professor of pathology.

The importance of expertise

When the instrument was acquired, two researchers were recruited with complementary expertise to drive the establishment: postdoctoral researcher Anna Gustafsson, experienced in histology and tissue preparation , and doctoral student Sofia Johansson, with a background in advanced gene analysis. Together with key competence from Prof Anders Ståhlber’s group in clinical genomics, they cover the entire chain from tissue diagnosis, sample handling, biomolecular imaging to integrated analysis of high dimensional spatial data– a combination that is crucial for the technology to function optimally.

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“It’s an advanced analytical instrument that allows us to both see and understand what is happening within the tissue. We can connect the tissue’s structure to its biology, opening up entirely new ways to understand disease,” says Sofia Johansson.

Opening up for others

The ambition for the laboratory is to serve as an open research hub where we can  make the technology available for collaborations with other research groups and even industry partners. The techniques are not limited to cancer and neuroscience, and of interest to other fields where the tissue microenvironment is key – such as kidney research, inflammation, and drug development.

The technology, however, is demanding in both expertise and cost. A single run on the instrument can cost around SEK 180,000, just for reagents and consumables.

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– Det är en utmaning, förstås särskilt när det gällde att etablera och optimera tekniken. Men vår förhoppning är att laboratoriet ska bli en resurs som växer genom samarbete, där fler forskare kan använda tekniken och utveckla nya metoder tillsammans, säger Jörg Hanrieder.

“It’s certainly a challenge, particularly when establishing and optimizing the techniques. But our hope is that the laboratory will grow through collaboration, enabling more researchers to use the technology and develop new methods together,” says Jörg Hanrieder.

Putting Gothenburg on the map

Establishing this technology locally has been an important goal. Previously, tissue samples often had to be sent to Stockholm, Lund, or even abroad for analysis – a process that both delayed research and risked damaging valuable material.

“For many studies, especially those involving sensitive tissue, sending samples elsewhere simply isn’t feasible. Being able to perform the analyses here on site, close to the pathology lab and biobanks, makes all the difference,” says Sofia Johansson.

The researchers behind the initiative hope that the laboratory will become part of a growing national infrastructure for spatial biology. In the long term, it could help put Gothenburg on the map as a leading environment for research aiming to understand diseases not only at the cellular level, but within their true tissue context. In the future, spatial biology is also expected to find applications in clinical care.