Mass spectrometry

High-capacity analysis, improved remote functionalities, AI implementation and more: mass spectrometry keeps pushing the capabilities of clinical pathology.

News • Targeted analysis

New technique maps cancer drug uptake inside living cells

A new analytical method could improve how cancer treatments are designed – by allowing scientists to track, for the first time, exactly where inside a living cell a drug accumulates.

News • PARP inhibitors distribution

“Hidden drug storehouses” could explain treatment resistance in cancer

Why do some cancer cells develop treatment resistance? The answer may lie in hidden “storage hubs” inside tumour cells, which create uneven drug exposure across tumours, according to new research.

News • Kinetic analysis of therapeutics

How boron may point the way to better therapies for head and neck cancer

A new technique has measured boron in individual cancer cells for the first time, enabling researchers to better understand how drugs act to kill tumours in some cancers.

News • Single-cell metabolic profiling

Mass-spec and IMC give deep insights into tumors

By combining mass spectrometry and mass cytometry imaging techniques, researchers can now dive deeper into tumors and map the metabolism of individual cells in tumor tissue.

News • "Candycrunch"

AI and mass spectrometry to find cancer clues at lightning speed

Researchers have developed an AI model that increases the potential for detecting cancer through sugar analyses. The AI model is faster and better at finding abnormalities than current methods.

News • Biomarkers enhance early detection

Parkinson's: blood test predicts disease up to seven years before symptoms

A novel blood test shows promise to predict Parkinson's disease in risk patients up to seven years before the typical motor symptoms appear.

News • Tissue analysis tool

'Smart scalpel' to help remove brain tumours

Researchers have developed the 'iKnife', a smart scalpel that is able to recognise healthy tissue from brain tumour in seconds as it cuts, with more than 98% accuracy.

News • Tissue identification

Mass spectrometry pen put to good use in thyroid surgery

In thyroid removal surgery, reliable discrimination between different tissues is crucial. US surgeons have evaluated how a new handheld device using mass spectrometry can assist them.

Article • Overheard at AACC

The complexities of drug testing in urine and hair

Urine screening tests using only immunoassays are the most common procedures used to identify drug abuse. They are inexpensive, automated, and produce rapid results. But they may generate false-positive or false-negative results, which vary based on the drug, drug class, and the assay used. Hair toxicology analysis is another form of drug testing which, unlike urine tests, enable analysis of drug…

Article • UHPLC-MS/MS analysis

Predicting Covid-19 infection severity with mass spec

Using mass spectrometry and chromatography techniques, UK researchers have developed an approach to predict infection severity among Covid-19 patients, as well as potential outcomes.

Article • Standardisation in drug monitoring

How traceability eliminates lab-to-lab variability

The advantages and limitations of the value of traceability chains in therapeutic drug monitoring will be explored during a key session at the EuroMedLab event.

New sepsis marker speeds up detection and therapy

Sepsis is the cause of one in five deaths worldwide, killing nearly 11 million people each year, many of them children. It is also a major cause of disability, affecting millions more. To combat the condition, many hospitals have implemented sepsis performance improvement programmes. A meta-analysis of 50 observational studies showed that these programmes are associated with better compliance…

Article • Chromatogram analysis

AI raises reliability for peak detection in mass spectrometry

Chromatograms from mass spectrometry feature characteristic peaks to signify the response of a target molecule. Artificial intelligence can help in the challenging task of identifying these peaks.

News • Large study

Blood test for Alzheimer’s highly accurate

When combined with genetic risk factors, the test was up to 93 percent accurate at identifying people at risk of Alzheimer's dementia.

Shedding light on the mysteries of rare microbial infections with MALDI-TOF MS

The Zybio EXS2600 mass spectrometry system enables rapid microbial identification, including bacteria and fungi. With an advanced pre-filled sample kit, user-friendly software and a comprehensive strain database, the EXS2600 offers high-throughput screening, convenient operation and accurate results.

Article • Mass spec, qPCR and more

Newborn screening: early detection – new diagnostic possibilities

Since its introduction around 60 years ago, the screening of newborn babies for immune, hormone and metabolic disorders has prevented many people from experiencing severe disease progression. The scope of systematic early testing has been significantly enhanced through mass spectrometry (MS). In our interview, Professor Uta Ceglarek, one of the driving forces behind the introduction of MS…

Article • Mass spectrometry goes handheld

A pen to pin down the fringes of cancer

Mass spectrometry – a powerful tool for analysing the molecular composition of a tissue sample – is invaluable during cancer surgery. However, mass spectrometers are complex and unwieldy, and certainly a poor fit for an operating room (OR). To create a bridge between the lab and OR, Professor Livia S Eberlin, from Baylor College of Medicine, has developed a very special ‘pen’.

News • Patient response testing

New method predicts which cancer therapies work (and which don't)

A new technology that can study which therapies will work on patients with solid cancerous tumours has been developed by scientists at University College London (UCL). Researchers say the tool, which can rapidly test tumorous tissue against different treatments, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiotherapy, could be used by clinicians to pinpoint the best therapy for a particular patient.

News • Leading cause for blindness

Breakthrough in research on age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness in developed countries affecting seven million in total in Germany, from which 500,000 people are suffering from late stage disease, around half of whom are registered as visually impaired. There are two forms of AMD, ‘wet’ and ‘dry’. There are currently no treatments available for the dry form of the disease…

News • Longevity

One for all: Convergent mechanism of ageing discovered

Researchers have discovered folate metabolism as a fundamental process for ageing. This could provide a new opportunity to improve human health during ageing on a broad basis.

Article • Mass spectrometry analysis

Skin swabs can detect Covid-19

Skin swab samples analysed using mass spectrometry could be used to detect Covid-19 in patients, according to research conducted at the University of Surrey in the UK. Current Covid-19 testing is via a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which involves taking a swab of the back of the throat and inside the nose, but the team from Surrey - working with Frimley NHS Trust and the Universities of…

News • Mass spectrometry

"Protein fingerprint" rapidly identifies Covid-19 biomarkers

Researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Francis Crick Institute have developed a mass spectrometry-based technique capable of measuring samples containing thousands of proteins within just a few minutes. It is faster and cheaper than a conventional blood count. To demonstrate the technique’s potential, the researchers used blood plasma collected from Covid-19 patients.…

News • Degenerative disease diagnostics

Parkinson's: Scientists develop ‘game-changing’ skin swab test

It is possible to identify Parkinson’s Disease based on compounds found on the surface of skin, according to new research. The findings offer hope that a pioneering new test could be developed to diagnose the degenerative condition through a simple and painless skin swab. Scientists at The University of Manchester have developed a technique which works by analysing compounds found in sebum -…

News • Neuroimaging research

Using mass spectrometry to diagnose brain diseases

To quickly and correctly diagnose diseases, medical professionals depend on identifying what biochemicals are present in tissue sections, where the biomolecules are, and at what concentrations. Mass spectrometry imaging—which can identify multiple biochemicals in a single experiment—is a promising technique to achieve this.

News • SARS-CoV-2 vs the proteome

Researchers explore coronavirus interactions with cells

Scientists from Würzburg and the US have charted the first global atlas of direct interactions between SARS-CoV-2 RNA and human host cells. This may provide a starting point for novel treatments. SARS-CoV-2 infections pose a global threat to human health and a formidable research challenge. One of the most urgent tasks is to gain a detailed understanding of the molecular interactions between the…

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