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Review
. 2024 Jan;45(1):67-80.
doi: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.11.003. Epub 2023 Dec 15.

Spatial pharmacology using mass spectrometry imaging

Presha Rajbhandari  1 , Taruna V Neelakantan  2 , Noreen Hosny  3 , Brent R Stockwell  4
Affiliations
Review

Spatial pharmacology using mass spectrometry imaging

Presha Rajbhandari et al. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2024 Jan.

Abstract

The emerging and powerful field of spatial pharmacology can map the spatial distribution of drugs and their metabolites, as well as their effects on endogenous biomolecules including metabolites, lipids, proteins, peptides, and glycans, without the need for labeling. This is enabled by mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) that provides previously inaccessible information in diverse phases of drug discovery and development. We provide a perspective on how MSI technologies and computational tools can be implemented to reveal quantitative spatial drug pharmacokinetics and toxicology, tissue subtyping, and associated biomarkers. We also highlight the emerging potential of comprehensive spatial pharmacology through integration of multimodal MSI data with other spatial technologies. Finally, we describe how to overcome challenges including improving reproducibility and compound annotation to generate robust conclusions that will improve drug discovery and development processes.

Keywords: DES; MALDI; SIMS; imaging; mass spectrometry imaging; multimodal imaging.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests B.R.S. is an inventor on patents and patent applications involving ferroptosis; co-founded and serves as a consultant to ProJenX, Inc. and Exarta Therapeutics; holds equity in Sonata Therapeutics; serves as a consultant to Weatherwax Biotechnologies Corporation and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.

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