# SDMap: a comprehensive database of spatial drug perturbation maps

## TL;DR

SDMap is a database that explores how the spatial arrangement of cells in tissues affects drug actions and responses.

## Contribution

SDMap introduces a comprehensive database and tools to analyze spatial drug perturbation effects across multiple tissues and drugs.

## Key findings

- SDMap connects over 5 million spatial locations from 989 tissue slices to 33,149 drugs.
- The database provides 10 tools for analyzing spatial drug effects, including dosage, duration, and cell differentiation.
- SDMap aims to improve understanding of spatial heterogeneity in drug actions and precision therapy targets.

## Abstract

The arrangement patterns and spatial distribution features of cells within tissues are key regulators of drug actions and cellular responses; however, the specific spatial microenvironment that mediates drug actions and efficacy remains to be elucidated. Here, we introduce SDMap (http://bio-bigdata.hrbmu.edu.cn/SDMap/), a database to dissect the spatial distributions of drug-associated cells and spatial contexts that contribute to drug actions. SDMap establishes connections between 5 490 079 spatial locations (spots/cells) derived from 989 slices of 35 human tissues (including disease-state slices) and 538 419 instances across 33 149 drugs. It also offers 10 user-friendly tools for retrieving and analyzing: (i) associations between drug-associated instances and spatial spots/cells, niches, or cell types; (ii) the influence of spatial drug target activity on drug actions; (iii) drug-associated instances exhibiting highly variable spatial perturbation effects; (iv) the perturbation effects of drug dosage and duration on the spatial microenvironment; (v) spatial differentiation trajectories of drug-perturbed cells; (vi) the impact of spatial cellular functional activity on drug perturbation; (vii) spatial perturbation effect maps of drug combinations; and (viii) 3D maps of drug perturbation effects within spatial tissue contexts. SDMap is anticipated to yield critical insights into how spatial heterogeneity influences drug actions, and serve as a comprehensive database for identifying spatially resolved precision therapy targets and elucidating drug-associated mechanisms.

Graphical Abstract