Imaging mass spectrometry combines the chemical specificity and parallel detection of mass spectrometry with microscopic imaging capabilities. The ability to simultaneously obtain images from all analytes detected, from atomic to macromolecular ions, allows the analyst to probe the chemical organization of a sample and to correlate this with physical features. The sensitivity of the ionization step, sample preparation, the spatial resolution, and the speed of the technique are all important parameters that affect the type of information obtained. Recently, significant progress has been made in each of these steps for both secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging of biological samples. Examples demonstrating localization of proteins in tumors, a reduction of lamellar phospholipids in the region binding two single celled organisms, and sub-cellular distributions of several biomolecules have all contributed to an increasing upsurge in interest in imaging mass spectrometry. Here we review many of the instrumental developments and methodological approaches responsible for this increased interest, compare and contrast the information provided by SIMS and MALDI imaging, and discuss future possibilities.

Imaging mass spectrometry

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) is emerging as a powerful tool for investigating the distribution of molecules within biological systems through the direct analysis of thin tissue sections. Unique among imaging methods, MALDI-IMS can determine the distribution of hundreds of unknown compounds in a single measurement. We discuss the current state of the art of MALDI-IMS along with some recent applications and technological developments that illustrate not only its current capabilities but also the future potential of the technique to provide a better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of biological processes.

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MALDI imaging mass spectrometry: molecular snapshots of biochemical systems.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of selective cholinergic replacement with xanomeline tartrate, an ml and m4 selective muscarinic receptor (mAChR) agonist in patients with probable Alzheimer disease (AD). Design: A 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled, parallel-group trial followed by a 1-month, single-blind, placebo washout. Setting: Outpatients at 17 centers in the United States and Canada. Participants: A total of 343 men and women at least 60 years of age with mild to moderate AD. Interventions: Patients received 75, 150, or 225 mg (low, medium, and high doses) of xanomeline per day or placebo for 6 months. Outcome Measures: Scores on the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-Cog), the Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change (CIBIC+), the Alzheimer's Disease Symptomatology Scale (ADSS), and the Nurses' Observational Scale for Geriatric Patients (NOSGER). Results: A significant treatment effect existed for ADAS-Cog (high dose vs placebo;P≤.05), and CIBIC+ (high dose vs placebo;P≤.02). Treatment Emergent Signs and Symptoms analysis of the ADSS, which assesses behavioral symptoms in patients with AD, disclosed significant (P≤.002) dose-dependent reductions in vocal Out-bursts, bursts, suspiciousness, delusions, agitation, and hallucinations. On end-point analysis, NOSGER, which assesses memory, instrumental activities of daily living, self-care, mood, social behavior, and disturbing behavior in the elderly, also showed a significant dose-response relationship (P≤.02). In the high-dose arm, 52% of patients discontinued treatment because of adverse events; dose-dependent adverse events were predominantly gastrointestinal in nature. Syncope, defined as loss of consciousness and muscle tone, occurred in 12.6% of patients in the high-dose group. Conclusions: The observed improvements in ADAS-Cog and CIBIC+ following treatment with xanomeline provide the first evidence, from a large-scale, placebo-controlled clinical trial, that a direct-acting muscarinic receptor agonist can improve cognitive function in patients with AD. Furthermore, the dramatic and favorable effects on disturbing behaviors in AD suggest a novel approach for treatment of noncognitive symptoms.

Effects of xanomeline, a selective muscarinic receptor agonist, on cognitive function and behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer disease.

1.1. Mass Spectrometry
A mass spectrometer is described as the smallest weighing scale in the world ever used.1 Mass spectrometry (MS) is a unique technique that has an interdisciplinary nature, which freely crosses the borders of physics, chemistry and biology. Mass spectrometry makes a great scientific tool due to its capabilities to determine the mass of large biomolecular complexes, individual biomolecules, small organic molecules as well as single atoms and their isotopes. Right from the time of its invention in the first decade of the 20th century, mass spectrometry has undergone tremendous improvements in terms of its sensitivity, resolution and mass range. It currently finds applications in all scientific disciplines such as chemistry, physics, biology, pharmacology, medicine, biochemistry and bio-agro-based industry.

Introduction of “soft” ionization sources such as electrospray ionization (ESI) by J.B. Fenn et al.2 and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) by M. Karas et al.3 in 1980s revolutionized mass spectrometry as it offered the capability to analyze large intact biomolecules. As such MS became an irreplaceable tool for the biological sciences. The development of both ESI and MALDI made possible the ionization of smaller biomolecules such as drugs and metabolites as well larger biomolecules such as lipids, peptides and even proteins.2,4 The molecular weight (Mw) ranges we use in this review are defined as follows. The low Mw range includes elements and molecules from 1 to 500 Da. Molecules with Mw between 500 and 2000 Da fall in the medium Mw range. All molecules with Mw > 2000 Da are considered to be part of the high molecular weight class. It goes beyond the scope of this review to cover all developments in MS. Rather this review focuses on one of the latest, rapidly developing innovations in MS namely mass spectrometric imaging (MSI). This young technique takes benefit from all methodological and technological developments in general MS over the last decades. Over the last twenty years MSI has transformed from an esoteric, specialist technology studied by few researchers only to a technique that now finds itself at the center stage of mainstream MS. Over the last years the technology has matured to find applications in many different areas, with instrument developments taken up by all MS instrument manufacturers resulting in a rapid rise of the number of research groups active in this area. A thorough review of the area is therefore timely and needed to offer a starting point for all newcomers to the field. In this paper we describe and review approximately 20 years of MSI developement from the perspective of its application to biomedical imaging. We will emphasize the key research steps and pitfalls that determine the outcome of biological applications of this relatively new label free biomolecular imaging technique in life sciences.

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Mass spectrometric imaging for biomedical tissue analysis.

Human beings are adept at discerning relevant information from complex systems by processing visual information. Similarly, as scientists labor to understand the fundamental nature of complex biological systems, they have continued to rely on visual information in the form of images to characterize and classify natural phenomena. New technologies designed to produce images of biological specimens have played a key role in the development of our modern understanding of biology. One of the earliest technological examples, the application of light microscopy to the analysis of biological tissue in the 17th century, ultimately led to the discovery of the cell as a key component of biology.1 Fortunately, the ways in which scientists now visualize biological systems have significantly matured. Currently, the methods for imaging biological specimens encompass an extraordinarily large range of technologies, capitalizing on many different measurable physical phenomena to produce images that provide insight into the underlying biology within the specimen. During the previous century, many imaging technologies including microscopy, radiography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging have contributed greatly to the visualization of biological processes and to the practice of medicine.2

Each imaging modality has unique advantages and disadvantages that enable them to make contributions to research and clinical practice. One key aspect of imaging that remains a challenge is the effective integration of molecularly specific information as part of the image. Many of the commonly used in vivo imaging technologies produce high quality images, but these cannot be expressed as individual molecular images. Although immunostaining can be used to localize specific molecules within a biological sample, this method depends upon the use of a surrogate marker of the molecule such as an antibody or other specialized reagent and is usually performed on one or at most only a few molecules of interest in a single experiment.

Mass spectrometry (MS) is unique among analytical technologies in its ability to directly measure individual molecular species in complex samples, allowing it to make significant contributions to our understanding of biological molecules. Indeed, the fundamental basis of the dynamic state of living systems was discovered by Rittenberg and Schoenheimer in the 1930's and 1940's through the use of MS and stable isotope tracers.3–5 With the introduction of ionization techniques such as electrospray ionization (ESI)6 and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI),7 the field of mass spectrometry has grown exponentially in the past 20 years due to the application of MS to biological molecules. These capabilities ushered in a new era of biological research wherein a systems approach can be used to analyze the molecules in living systems in the wake of information provided by the Human Genome Project.8 With the drive to discover new biology has come a concomitant drive for the development of new mass spectrometry instrumentation. The primary benefit of this technology innovation is the ability to measure specific molecular compounds at high structural fidelity with high speed of acquisition, making it possible to perform experiments on biological systems that have not been possible before. Even single experiments have shown near comprehensive coverage of entire proteomes of simple organisms.9–10

Imaging Mass Spectrometry (IMS) is a technology that makes regiospecific molecular measurements directly from biological specimens.11–15 This method of imaging capitalizes on all the advantages of modern mass spectrometers, including high sensitivity, high throughput, and molecular specificity, to produce images that visually represent tissue biology on the basis of specific molecules (e.g. peptides, proteins, lipids, drugs and metabolites). The capabilities of mass spectrometry are unique in the imaging world, providing unique insights into biological systems. The distinguishing principle of imaging mass spectrometry from other mass spectrometric techniques is that the preparation of the sample and the acquisition of the MS data must be performed in a manner that preserves the spatial integrity of the sample within the limits of the spatial resolution of the measurement. Therefore, IMS of a biological sample, such as a tissue section, requires that the mass spectral data be registered to specific spatial locations in order to correlate the molecular information to specific cells or groups of cells commonly visualized by microscopy. Images are reconstructed by plotting the intensities of a given ion on a coordinate system that represents the relative position of the mass spectral acquisition from the biological sample. The resulting images create a visual representation of the sample based on the specific molecular information measured from the sample itself.

IMS has a number of advantages relative to other imaging techniques currently used for biological and clinical studies. First, MS can be used to detect analytes without the need for labeling or otherwise structurally modifying the native compound. This distinction is important for many reasons, but primarily this avoids potential problems if the tagging reagent affects or changes the physical, chemical, or biological function of the molecules of interest or if the reagent has multiple molecular affinities. Second, MS has the capability of monitoring thousands of molecules in a single experiment. From a systems biology perspective, the advantage of the concurrent measurement of whole pathways or components in multiple pathways is crucial to understanding the function of intact cells.

Among the several mass spectrometry ionization techniques that can be used to directly analyze tissues, MALDI has led the way in the development of biological and clinical applications for IMS.16–17 This report describes the essential considerations for performing MALDI IMS experiments on tissue, reviews some of the recent applications to the analysis of clinical specimens, highlights specific contributions of MALDI IMS to our understanding of biology and medicine, and discusses specific advantages and limitations of the technology. This review is not intended to be comprehensive with respect to all aspects of imaging mass spectrometry; rather it focuses on the themes that are essential to the analysis of biological and clinical tissue samples using MALDI IMS. There are excellent reviews that extensively cover both the ionization techniques used in IMS as well as the various mass analyzers that have been adapted for use in IMS and the reader is referred to these for further information.12,18–21

Analysis of Tissue Specimens by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Imaging Mass Spectrometry in Biological and Clinical Research

Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) that utilizes matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) technology can provide a molecular ex vivo view of resected organs or whole-body sections from an animal, making possible the label-free tracking of both endogenous and exogenous compounds with spatial resolution and molecular specificity. Drug distribution and, for the first time, individual metabolite distributions within whole-body tissue sections can be detected simultaneously at various time points following drug administration. IMS analysis of tissues from 8 mg/kg olanzapine dosed rats revealed temporal distribution of the drug and metabolites that correlate to previous quantitative whole-body autoradiography studies. Whole-body MALDI IMS is further extended to detecting proteins from organs present in a whole-body sagittal tissue section. This technology will significantly help advance the analysis of novel therapeutics and may provide deeper insight into therapeutic and toxicological processes, reveal...

Direct molecular analysis of whole-body animal tissue sections by imaging MALDI mass spectrometry.

Analysis of olanzapine in human plasma utilizing reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

Developing a pharmaceutical product has become increasingly difficult and expensive. With an emphasis on developing project knowledge at an earlier stage in development, the use of information-rich technologies (particularly MS) has continued to expand throughout product development. Continued improvements in LC/MS technology have widened the scope of utilizing MS methods for performing both qualitative and quantitative applications within product development. This review describes a multi-tiered MS strategy designed to enhance and accelerate the identification and profiling of both process- and degradation-related impurities in either the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) or formulated product. Such impurities can be formed either during chemical synthesis, formulation, or during storage. This review provides an overview of a variety of orthogonal-mass spectrometric methodologies, namely GC/MS, LC/MS, and ICP-MS, in support of product development. This review is not meant to be all inclusive; however, it has been written to highlight the increasing use of hyphenated MS techniques within the pharmaceutical development area.

Mass spectrometry for small molecule pharmaceutical product development: a review.

Xanomeline is a muscarinic receptor agonist currently in phase II clinical trials for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease A fast, sensitive and specific assay has been developed to determine xanomeline plasma concentrations using ion-spray tandem mass spectrometry Xanomeline and a structural analog, LY282122, were extracted from basifed plasma into hexane The dried hexane extracts were reconstituted and injected onto a 10 x 1 mm C18 reversed-phase column A mobile phase of 33 mM ammonium acetate and 033% acetic acid in 30/70 (v/v) water-acetonitrile was pumped through the column at 50 microliters min-1 The mobile phase eluant was introduced directly into the ion-spray interface The mass spectrometer was operated in the positive ion mode for specific detection of the product ions of xanomeline and the internal standard The method has a linear range of 0075-50 ng xanomeline per milliliter of plasma Sample run times were 25 min from one injection to the next

Determination of xanomeline in human plasma by ionspray tandem mass spectrometry

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1016%2Fj.jasms.2009.11.008.pdf

Identification and counting of carbonyl and hydroxyl functionalities in protonated bifunctional analytes by using solution derivatization prior to mass spectrometric analysis via ion-molecule reactions

Todd A. Gillespie

Papers

Direct molecular analysis of whole-body animal tissue sections by imaging MALDI mass spectrometry.

Analysis of olanzapine in human plasma utilizing reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

Mass spectrometry for small molecule pharmaceutical product development: a review.

Determination of xanomeline in human plasma by ionspray tandem mass spectrometry

Identification and counting of carbonyl and hydroxyl functionalities in protonated bifunctional analytes by using solution derivatization prior to mass spectrometric analysis via ion-molecule reactions