Immunocapture mass spectrometry: macroscopic history, recent trends and future prospects

Literature on immunological pretreatment and mass spectrometry was searched in the Web of Science database. The collected data were utilized for bibliometric analysis and literature review to identify trends in this field. Immunological pretreatment initially began in chemical toxicology using gas chromatography mass spectrometry and research interests later shifted to biologics pharmacokinetics, biomarkers, anti-drug antibodies and diagnosis. The key advantage of using mass spectrometry was the ability to distinguish molecular subtypes. Future research interests are expected to focus on a broader range of analyte types (such as intact protein mass spectrometry) and methodological improvements, including better protein digestion and microfluidics, aiming for faster, less labor-intensive and more reliable analysis through multiplexing and automation.