MALDI imaging: beyond classic diagnosis

Mass spectrometry has been the focus of technology development and application for imaging for several decades. Imaging mass spectrometry using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization is a new and effective tool for molecular studies of complex biological samples such as tissue sections. As histological features remain intact throughout the analysis of a section, distribution maps of multiple analytes can be correlated with histological and clinical features. Spatial molecular arrangements can be assessed without the need for target-specific reagents, allowing the discovery of diagnostic and prognostic markers of different cancer types and enabling the determination of effective therapies.