Matrix Effects Free Imaging of Thin Tissue Sections Using Pneumatically Assisted Nano-DESI MSI.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomedical Imaging
• Mass Spectrometry

Background:

• Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) offers insights into molecular interactions within tissue morphology.
• Complex chemical environments in MSI pixels can cause matrix effects, skewing molecular distribution data.
• These matrix effects are a significant challenge in accurate molecular profiling of tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel method for eliminating matrix effects in mass spectrometry imaging.
• To demonstrate the utility of pneumatically assisted nano-DESI MSI (PA nano-DESI MSI) for artifact reduction.
• To enable more accurate molecular distribution analysis in complex biological samples.

Main Methods:

• Utilized pneumatically assisted nanospray desorption electrospray ionization (PA nano-DESI) for MSI.
• Doped the nano-DESI solvent with carefully selected internal standards.
• Employed a robust data normalization method to correct for matrix effects.

Main Results:

• Successfully eliminated matrix effects in ion images generated by PA nano-DESI MSI.
• Internal standards co-ionized with analytes, facilitating simultaneous ionization.
• Achieved accurate molecular distributions by normalizing data based on internal standards.

Conclusions:

• PA nano-DESI MSI with internal standards is an effective strategy to overcome matrix effects.
• This method enhances the reliability of molecular distribution data in MSI.
• The technique provides a robust solution for artifact-free molecular imaging in tissue analysis.