Imaging mass spectrometry: Molecular microscopy for the new age of biology and medicine

Abstract

Imaging mass spectrometry provides a powerful tool for monitoring and discovery of molecular processes in the spatial domain in tissues for research and practical applications in both biology and medicine. This technology directly measures molecular compounds in tissues without the use of target-specific reagents such as antibodies, is applicable to a wide variety of analytes, and can provide spatial resolutions below the single cell level. Importantly, it has paradigm shifting capabilities in clinical applications, especially for anatomic pathology.