Advanced Mass Spectrometry Imaging:Pharmaceutical distributions and effects from Cartilage to Cancer

Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MSI) is a unique analytical tool starting to be heavily used by pharmaceutical companies due to the recent development in the fields. This technique allows to study the penetration, distribution, quantification, and directly monitor the effects of drugs on tissues and organs. This thesis presents how we developed new instruments with MSI manufacturers (Waters – uMALDI) and how we improved the detection of hard-to-detect compounds using either chemistry (Derivatization) or state-of-the-art innovations (MALDI-2). We also show that MSI can be combined with other Imaging modalities to monitor response to chemotherapy as well as looking for markers of resistance to the treatment. In addition, the thesis introduces a patented innovative sample preparation device that helps to control and speed up the sample preparation making MSI an even more robust and trusted method.