Biological tissue diagnostics using needle biopsy and spray ionization mass spectrometry

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Pathology

Background:

• Needle biopsy is a standard diagnostic procedure for disease detection.
• Current methods require time-consuming laboratory analysis.
• Rapid molecular profiling of biopsy samples is needed for timely clinical decisions.

Discussion:

• Spray ionization directly from biopsy needle tissue offers highly specific molecular information via mass spectrometry.
• Analysis is completed within one minute, facilitating immediate medical decision-making.
• The method successfully analyzed diverse tissues including brain, liver, kidney, and stomach.

Key Insights:

• Detected molecules include amino acids, hormones, fatty acids, anesthetics, and phospholipids.
• Exact mass measurement and tandem mass spectrometry enable precise identification.
• Lipid profiles show potential for distinguishing diseased from healthy tissues, similar to imaging MS.

Outlook:

• Needle biopsies can provide crude depth profiling, demonstrated in porcine kidney samples.
• Further development could integrate this technique into routine pathology workflows.
• Potential for real-time molecular diagnostics directly at the point of care.