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Updated: May 12, 2026

A Strategy for Sensitive, Large Scale Quantitative Metabolomics
Published on: May 27, 2014
Qualitative and quantitative mass spectrometry imaging of drugs and metabolites
Christopher B Lietz1, Erin Gemperline, Lingjun Li
1Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2222, USA.
Abstract:
Mass spectrometric imaging (MSI) has rapidly increased its presence in the pharmaceutical sciences. While quantitative whole-body autoradiography and microautoradiography are the traditional techniques for molecular imaging of drug delivery and metabolism, MSI provides advantageous specificity that can distinguish the parent drug from metabolites and modified endogenous molecules. This review begins with the fundamentals of MSI sample preparation/ionization, and then moves on to both qualitative and quantitative applications with special emphasis on drug discovery and delivery. Cutting-edge investigations on sub-cellular imaging and endogenous signaling peptides are also highlighted, followed by perspectives on emerging technology and the path for MSI to become a routine analysis technique.
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