title: UV-ozone ashing of cells and tissues for spatially resolved trace element analysis.
abstract: UV/ozone ashing of thin tissue sections and cell cultures is a simple technique to enhance relative elemental concentrations, while maintaining their spatial location at the sub-micron level. This approach may enhance the capability of spatially resolved analysis techniques to detect the distribution of trace elements in biological matrices. We present results from light microscopy and x-ray spectromicroscopy studies of tissues and cells demonstrating that the micro-structure is very well conserved. We show the signal enhancement resulting from the removal of carbon, which allows otherwise undetectable gadolinium to be mapped in cancer tissue for a novel neutron capture therapy.
authors.affiliation: Istitut de Physique Appliquee, Ecole Polytechnique Federale, PH-Ecublens, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. bgilbert@dpmail.epfl.ch
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perfetti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mercanti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Casalbore
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andres
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perfetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Margaritondo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Stasio
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000032:analysis; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry; D008579:Meningioma / Q000737:chemistry*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods*; D010126:Ozone / Q000737:chemistry; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000379:methods*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D010126:Ozone; D002244:Carbon; D005682:Gadolinium