Studying Drug–Tumor Microenvironment Interactions

Sarah Theiner, Spectroscopy’s 2026’s Emerging Leader in Atomic Spectroscopy award recipient, had the opportunity to discuss her research at the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry. During her talk at the conference, she presented findings from one of her previously published studies that she conducted with her colleagues at the University of Vienna.

This study, which was published in the journal JACS Au, examined how intrinsic chemoresistance influences drug distribution within the tumor microenvironment (TME) in colorectal cancer (1). Using xenograft models derived from oxaliplatin-sensitive (OxPt) and oxaliplatin-resistant (OxR) HCT116 cells, Theiner’s team applied single-cell laser ablation inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-TOFMS) to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor sections. A panel of metal-tagged antibodies enabled spatial and phenotypic mapping of tumor and TME components, supported by a dedicated calibration strategy to quantify platinum uptake at the single-cell level (1). Theiner highlighted that her team observed structural differences between tumors, with OxR tumors maintaining growth after treatment while sensitive tumors degraded extensively (1). Another key finding was that platinum preferentially accumulated in necrotic regions of resistant tumors, demonstrating resistance-driven alterations in drug compartmentalization within the TME (1).

Theiner sat down with Spectroscopy to talk about this study, as well as her other research, in an exclusive interview. Part I of our conversation with Theiner focused on her receiving the Emerging Leader in Atomic Spectroscopy award and what it means for her career and research (2). Part II shifted the focus to the abovementioned study, talking about Theiner and her team’s motivations for investigating how chemoresistance affects drug distribution in the TME (3).

In this video segment, Theiner explains why using LA-ICP-TOF-MS was the ideal technique for this research compared to more conventional methods. She also touches upon how the findings from her study could inform the design of future chemotherapies and combination treatments.

This interview clip is the final part of our interview with Theiner. To check out the rest of our coverage of the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, click here.

References

1. Schaier, M.; Baier, D.; Theiner, S. et al. LA-ICP-TOFMS Imaging Reveals Significant Influence of Cancer Cell Resistance on Oxaliplatin Compartmentalization in the Tumor Microenvironment. JACS Au 2025, 5 (6), 2619–2631. DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.5c00217
2. Wetzel, W. Sarah Theiner on Winning Spectroscopy’s 2026 Emerging Leader in Atomic Spectroscopy Award. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/sarah-theiner-on-winning-spectroscopy-s-2026-emerging-leader-in-atomic-spectroscopy-award (accessed 2026-01-24).
3. Wetzel, W. Investigating How Chemoresistance Affects Drug Distribution in the Tumor Microenvironment. Spectroscopy. Available at: [Link Not Available Yet] (accessed 2026-01-24).