Biomedical subjects

D Shannon Cornett

Publications and source records attributed to D Shannon Cornett.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Molecular imaging of thin mammalian tissue sections by mass spectrometry.

Imaging of tissue sections by mass spectrometry provides a detailed molecular picture containing information on both the abundance and distribution of many constituent compounds. Mass spectra are acquired directly from fresh frozen tissue sections using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS); sample preparation and data collection mode determine the spatial resolution or surface area of the section represented in each mass spectrum. Statistical analyses of the individual ion signatures yield biomarkers whose abundances correlate to cell development processes, tumorigenesis and/or drug treatment. In an alternate mode, the generation of intensity maps for individual ions provides a visual representation of the distribution of each species throughout the section at spatial resolutions as small as 50 microm. The availability of this molecular information is likely to be of great value to clinicians and should lead to improved therapeutic efficacy in the future.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

New developments in profiling and imaging of proteins from tissue sections by MALDI mass spectrometry.

Molecular imaging of tissue by MALDI mass spectrometry is a powerful tool for visualizing the spatial distribution of constituent analytes with high molecular specificity. Although the technique is relatively young, it has already contributed to the understanding of many diverse areas of human health. In recent years, a great many advances in the practice of imaging mass spectrometry have taken place, making the technique more sensitive, robust, and ultimately useful. The purpose of this review is to highlight some of the more recent technological advances that have improved the efficiency of imaging mass spectrometry for clinical applications. Advances in the way MALDI mass spectrometry is integrated with histology, improved methods for automation, and better tools for data analysis are outlined in this review. Refined top-down strategies for the identification and validation of candidate biomarkers found in tissue sections are discussed. A clinical example highlighting the application of these methods to a cohort of clinical samples is described.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Three-dimensional visualization of protein expression in mouse brain structures using imaging mass spectrometry.

We have developed a method to visualize matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS) data aligned with optically determinable tissue structures in three dimensions. Details of the methodology are exemplified using the 3-D reconstruction of myelin basic protein (MBP) in the corpus callosum of a mouse brain. In this procedure, optical images obtained from serial coronal sections are first aligned to each other to reconstruct a surface of the corpus callosum from segmented contours of the aligned images. The MALDI IMS data are then coregistered to the optical images and superimposed into the surface to create the final 3-D visualization. Correlating proteomic data with anatomical structures provides a more comprehensive understanding of healthy and pathological brain functions, and holds promise to be utilized in more complex anatomical arrangements.

Animals↗