Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Imaging and Detection of Metallodrugs
Theiner, S.; Schoeberl, A.;Â Schweikert, A.; Keppler, B.;Â Koellensperger, G.
Current Opinion in Chemical Biology, 2021
DOI:10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.12.005
In this review article, Sarah Theiner and co-workers from the University of Vienna highlight recent methodological developments for the analysis of metal-based anticancer drugs, such as Cisplatin. The review places a special focus on ICP-MS methods for single-cell analysis and bioimaging. For single-cell analysis, the authors state that ICP-MS instruments equipped with a time-of-flight mass analyzer (such as TOFWERK’s icpTOF) are the instruments of choice because they provide multi-element measurement capabilities over the short transient signals of single-cell events. Likewise, bioimaging with state-of-the-art low dispersion laser ablation cells requires multi-element detection of short transient signals and thus is best performed with TOF-based instruments.
In the light of these new technological advancements, the authors foresee a shift in the focus of (pre-)clinical studies for elucidating the fate of metallodrugs on a single-cell level – as opposed to determining bulk metal concentrations only. LA-ICP-TOFMS improves the spatial resolution, sensitivity, and speed of multi-element analysis, all of which are important parameters required for the high-throughput analysis of (pre-)clinical samples.
