Drug localizations in tissue by mass spectrometry imaging

Advances in development of mass spectrometry (MS) are successfully utilized for spatial localization of pharmaceutical compounds in these tissue sections. Today MS instruments can be used in imaging mode when the datasets are generated from the surface of the tissue over an array of acquisition positions. This review is focused on the technological developments of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization MS imaging (MALDI-MSI) and related sample preparation procedures. MALDI-MSI provides a sensitive and label-free approach for imaging of drugs and their metabolites. Due to these features, MALDI-MSI is expected to become a standard technique in pharmaceutical development providing complementary information to current methods.