The Role of DESI Mass Spectrometry Imaging Technology in the Medical Field

DESI mass spectrometry imaging is a powerful analytical tool with wide-ranging and far-reaching applications in the medical field. The following are some of its key applications:

1. Tumour diagnosis: DESI mass spectrometry imaging can be used to detect and analyse biomolecules in tumour tissue, such as proteins, glycans and metabolites. This helps doctors to accurately determine the type and malignancy of a tumour, as well as the patient’s prognosis, thereby enabling the provision of personalised treatment plans.

2. Early-stage disease detection: DESI mass spectrometry imaging technology can detect changes in biomarkers associated with early-stage diseases in real time and non-invasively, enabling early detection and intervention, which significantly improves cure rates and survival rates.

3. Drug development: DESI mass spectrometry imaging technology can be used to study processes such as the metabolism, distribution and excretion of drugs within the body, providing crucial real-time quantitative data for drug development and enhancing the efficacy and safety of medicines.

4. Surgical guidance: DESI mass spectrometry imaging technology can provide real-time molecular information about tissues, helping surgeons to accurately assess tissue characteristics during surgery, thereby avoiding accidental resection and damage, and improving surgical success rates.

5. Pathological Research: DESI mass spectrometry imaging technology enables in-depth molecular-level analysis of pathological tissues, revealing the aetiology and progression of diseases, and serving as a vital tool for teaching and research in pathology.

Overall, the role of DESI mass spectrometry imaging technology in medicine is primarily reflected in improving diagnostic accuracy, early disease detection, drug development and surgical guidance; it has made significant contributions to the advancement of medical science and human health.

Areas of Application

Spatial metabolomics, pathological diagnosis, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, environmental chemistry, forensic science, archaeology, palaeontology