Multimodal imaging of tissue using the combination of vibrational spectroscopy and mass spectrometry

Abstract

Chemically specific imaging techniques, such as vibrational spectroscopy and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) applied to biological tissue have seen an increasing interest in recent years. Multimodal imaging combining these techniques generates complementary information, promising a better understanding and explainability of the chemistry of the tissue. In this review, we describe commonly used techniques for multimodal imaging such as Infrared and Raman spectroscopy, Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI), and Desorption Electrospray (DESI) mass spectrometry and discuss research where vibrational spectroscopy and MSI has been combined in imaging of tissue. Challenges, such as spatial resolution and sample types, are discussed as well as the future outlook.