Molecular imaging of amyloid beta peptides in mouse brain sections using mass spectrometry

A method is presented for direct spatial analysis of amyloid beta peptides in biological tissue sections. The technique takes advantage of the very high sensitivity of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and is implemented on a commercial instrument with modifications to only a few components and the software. With this setup, hundreds of molecular images can be generated simultaneously and within just a few minutes. The current features are an instrumental resolution of 50 microm and a sensitivity down to the attomol range. This new technology is applied to the study of amyloid beta peptide distribution in brain sections from mice, showing features reminiscent of Alzheimer's disease.