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Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Imaging of Biological Tissues by Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry
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Imaging of Biological Tissues by Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Published on: July 12, 2013

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Desorption Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Imaging (DESI-MSI) of Metabolites in Heart Samples Infected with

Dan Chen1, Guilherme M P Carrara2, Laura-Isobel McCall3

  • 1Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|February 2, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, can lead to heart failure. New desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) offers high-resolution metabolic insights into infected heart tissue, aiding therapeutic target discovery.

Area of Science:

  • Parasitology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is a significant public health concern, particularly its chronic stage leading to severe heart failure.
  • The intracellular amastigote stage of T. cruzi is responsible for tissue damage, but its small size poses challenges for traditional molecular analysis.
  • Current metabolomics approaches like LC-MS/MS lack the spatial resolution needed to study localized metabolic changes in infected tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and describe the application of Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging (DESI-MSI) for studying Chagas disease.
  • To demonstrate the capability of DESI-MSI in analyzing metabolic alterations in mouse hearts infected with T. cruzi at high spatial resolution.
  • To highlight the potential of DESI-MSI in uncovering new therapeutic targets for Chagas disease by preserving tissue integrity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging (DESI-MSI) for ambient mass spectrometry analysis.
  • Applied DESI-MSI to infected mouse heart tissue to generate spatially resolved chemical maps.
  • Focused on analyzing metabolic alterations associated with Trypanosoma cruzi infection in cardiac tissue.

Main Results:

  • DESI-MSI provided high spatial resolution chemical maps of metabolites within infected mouse hearts.
  • The technique preserved tissue integrity, allowing for detailed examination of localized metabolic changes.
  • Identified metabolic alterations potentially linked to T. cruzi infection and disease progression.

Conclusions:

  • DESI-MSI is a powerful tool for high-resolution metabolomics in infectious diseases like Chagas disease.
  • This advanced imaging technique offers new insights into the spatial distribution of metabolites in infected tissues.
  • DESI-MSI facilitates the discovery of novel therapeutic targets by revealing localized molecular mechanisms of disease.

Keywords:
Chagas diseaseDesorption electrospray ionization (DESI)LipidsMass spectrometry imaging (MSI)MetabolitesTrypanosoma cruzi

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