MeXpose-A Modular Imaging Pipeline for the Quantitative Assessment of Cellular Metal Bioaccumulation

MeXpose is an end-to-end image analysis pipeline designed for mechanistic studies of metal exposure, providing spatial single-cell metallomics using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-TOFMS). It leverages the high-resolution capabilities of low-dispersion laser ablation setups, a standardized approach to quantitative bioimaging, and the toolbox of immunohistochemistry using metal-labeled antibodies for cellular phenotyping. MeXpose uniquely unravels quantitative metal bioaccumulation (sub-fg range per cell) in phenotypically characterized tissue. Furthermore, the full scope of single-cell metallomics is offered through an extended mass range accessible by ICP-TOFMS instrumentation (covering isotopes from m/z 14-256). As a showcase, an ex vivo human skin model exposed to cobalt chloride (CoCl₂) was investigated. For the first time, metal permeation was studied at single-cell resolution, showing high cobalt (Co) accumulation in the epidermis, particularly in mitotic basal cells, which correlated with DNA damage. Significant Co deposits were also observed in vascular cells, with notably lower levels in dermal fibers. MeXpose provides unprecedented insights into metal bioaccumulation with the ability to explore relationships between metal exposure and cellular responses on a single-cell level, paving the way for advanced toxicological and therapeutic studies.