title: Nanostructure Initiator Mass Spectrometry for tissue imaging in metabolomics: future prospects and perspectives.
abstract: Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics provides a new approach to interrogate mechanistic biochemistry related to natural processes such as health and disease. Physiological and pathological conditions, however, are characterized not only by the identities and concentrations of metabolites present, but also by the location of metabolites within a tissue. Unfortunately, most relevant MS platforms in metabolomics can only measure samples in solution, therefore metabolites are typically extracted by tissue homogenization. Recent developments of imaging-MS technologies, however, have allowed particular metabolites to be spatially localized within biological tissues. In this context, Nanostructure-Initiator Mass Spectrometry (NIMS), a matrix-free technique for surface-based analysis, has proven an alternative approach for tissue imaging of metabolites. Here we review the basic principles of NIMS for tissue imaging and show applications that can complement LC/MS and GC/MS-based metabolomic studies investigating the mechanisms of fundamental biological processes. In addition, the new surface modifications and nanostructured materials herein presented demonstrate the versatility of NIMS surface to expand the range of detectable metabolites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic Engineering, Rovira i Virgili University, Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calavia
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic Engineering, Rovira i Virgili University, Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Fatima E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Annanouch
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic Engineering, Rovira i Virgili University, Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Metabolomics Platform, Spanish Biomedical Research Center in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM), Rovira i Virgili University, Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Carrer Sant Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Correig
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic Engineering, Rovira i Virgili University, Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Metabolomics Platform, Spanish Biomedical Research Center in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM), Rovira i Virgili University, Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Carrer Sant Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus, Spain. Electronic address: oscar.yanes@urv.cat.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yanes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D008954:Models, Biological; D049329:Nanostructures; D013499:Surface Properties