Mass Spectrometry-Based Tissue Imaging of Small Molecules

Area of Science:

• Biomedical science
• Analytical chemistry
• Pharmacokinetics

Background:

• Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a powerful analytical tool for tissue samples.
• It offers advantages over classical imaging techniques, providing rapid and accurate histological data.
• MSI is applicable to a wide range of molecules, particularly biologically relevant ones.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the utility of MSI in the analysis of small molecules.
• To explore the success and potential of MSI in studying lipids, medicinals, and metal-based compounds.
• To showcase global research efforts in MSI for small molecule analysis.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing mass spectrometry as the readout for molecular imaging.
• Applying MSI to diverse tissue samples for molecular profiling.
• Featuring representative studies from international MSI laboratories.

Main Results:

• MSI provides accurate, histological data at a rapid pace.
• The technique is effective for analyzing peptides, proteins, lipids, medicinals, and metal-based compounds.
• Successful applications of MSI in various biomedical and pharmacokinetic studies have been reported.

Conclusions:

• MSI is a valuable and versatile tool for small molecule analysis in biomedical research.
• Its ability to analyze diverse molecules rapidly and accurately enhances pharmacokinetic and histological studies.
• Continued global research is expanding the potential and applications of MSI.