MALDI imaging

[3] Advantages, like measuring the distribution of a large amount of analytes at one time without destroying the sample, make it a useful method in tissue-based study.

The mass spectrometer records the spatial distribution of molecular species such as peptides, proteins or small molecules.

Tissue sections can then be thaw-mounted by placing the sample on the surface of a conductive slide that is of the same temperature, and then slowly warmed from below.

[7] Images are constructed by plotting ion intensity versus relative position of the data from the sample.

MALDI-MSI involves the visualization of the spatial distribution of proteins, peptides, lipids, and other small molecules within thin slices of tissue, such as animal or plant.

MALDI-MSI is providing major contributions to the understanding of diseases, improving diagnostics, and drug delivery.

[9][23] MALDI-MSI has been able to differentiate between drugs and metabolites[19] and provide histological information in cancer research, which makes it a promising tool for finding new protein biomarkers.

[24][20][25] However, this can be challenging because of ion suppression,[26] poor ionization, and low molecular weight matrix fragmentation effects.

By identifying changes in metabolic pathways early, MALDI-MSI can contribute to the development of better diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets, aiding in earlier detection and more tailored treatments.