Mass spectrometry imaging discriminates glioblastoma tumor cell subpopulations and different microvascular formations based on their lipid profiles.

Glioblastoma is a prevalent malignant brain tumor and despite clinical intervention, tumor recurrence is frequent and usually fatal. Genomic investigations have provided a greater understanding of molecular heterogeneity in glioblastoma, yet there are still no curative treatments, and the prognosis has remained unchanged. The aggressive nature of glioblastoma is attributed to the heterogeneity in tumor cell subpopulations and aberrant microvascular proliferation.

Enhancing Metabolite Coverage for Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging Through Multiple On-Tissue Chemical Derivatizations.

The ability to study and visualize metabolites on a cellular and sub-cellular level is important for gaining insights into biological pathways and metabolism of multicellular organisms. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a powerful analytical tool for metabolomics experiments due to its high sensitivity and small sampling size. The spatial resolution in MALDI-MSI is mainly limited by the number of molecules available in a small sampling size.

In Vitro Miniaturized Tuberculosis Spheroid Model.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a public health concern that impacts 10 million people around the world. Current in vitro models are low throughput and/or lack caseation, which impairs drug effectiveness in humans. Here, we report the generation of THP-1 human monocyte/macrophage spheroids housing mycobacteria (TB spheroids).

Visualizing Genotypic and Developmental Differences of Free Amino Acids in Maize Roots With Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

Amino acids are essential biological compounds in plants as they store nitrogen, an essential nutrient, and are the building blocks for proteins that drive biological activity. Amino acids have been studied using a wide variety of analytical techniques in different plant systems, however, mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a particularly useful technique as it allows for the simultaneous collection of both chemical and spatial information. In this work, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-MSI is used to study the different localization of free amino acids in the roots of maize inbred lines B73 and Mo17 and their reciprocal hybrids.

Study of the cyanoacrylate fuming mechanism by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

Despite cyanoacrylate fuming being widely used in the forensic science field, its mechanism is not well understood. In this study, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry is used to study latent fingerprints that have been cyanoacrylate fumed in an attempt to gain insight into the fuming mechanism. In the negative mode mass spectrometry data, four compounds related to the polymerization of cyanoacrylate are identified and their structures are determined from accurate mass and MS/MS.

Revealing Individual Lifestyles through Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Chemical Compounds in Fingerprints.

Fingerprints, specifically the ridge details within the print, have long been used in forensic investigations for individual identification. Beyond the ridge detail, fingerprints contain useful chemical information. The study of fingerprint chemical information has become of interest, especially with mass spectrometry imaging technologies.

Chemical Imaging of Cyanoacrylate-Fumed Fingerprints by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

For new techniques to be incorporated into forensic science, they must be compatible with current practices. Here, cyanoacrylate fuming, a common development technique for latent fingerprints, is studied for its compatibility with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) for chemical imaging of latent fingerprints. Half of a fingerprint was fumed while the other half was not; then, the changes in chemical composition and signal intensity were compared with MALDI-MS imaging.

Effect of Aging and Surface Interactions on the Diffusion of Endogenous Compounds in Latent Fingerprints Studied by Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

The ability to determine the age of fingerprints would be immeasurably beneficial in criminal investigations. We explore the possibility of determining the age of fingerprints by analyzing various compounds as they diffuse from the ridges to the valleys of fingerprints using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging. The diffusion of two classes of endogenous fingerprint compounds, fatty acids and triacylglycerols (TGs), was studied in fresh and aged fingerprints on four surfaces.