We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
PURITAN MEDICAL

Download Mobile App




Events

09 Apr 2024 - 12 Apr 2024
15 Apr 2024 - 17 Apr 2024
23 Apr 2024 - 26 Apr 2024

Lipidomics Method Could Bring Fast Cancer Diagnosis

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 08 Mar 2016
Print article
Image: The benchtop miniature mass spectrometer system, Mini 12, with ambient ionization source and tandem mass spectrometry capabilities (Photo courtesy of Purdue University).
Image: The benchtop miniature mass spectrometer system, Mini 12, with ambient ionization source and tandem mass spectrometry capabilities (Photo courtesy of Purdue University).
The field of lipidomics has been significantly advanced by mass spectrometric analysis, but the distinction and quantitation of the unsaturated lipid isomers, however, remain a long-standing challenge.

A new analytical tool for medical applications might be used to diagnose cancer more rapidly than conventional methods and has implications for the field of lipidomics, which involves the identification and quantification of cellular lipid molecules, how they interact with other components in cells and their role in biological systems.

Scientists at Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN, USA) and their colleagues developed a new approach to easily pinpoint the location of double bonds between carbon atoms in lipid molecules, allowing the identification of "isomers," a capability that could lead to the early diagnosis of cancer. Lipids are important components of living cells and include fats, oils and waxes. They may exist as isomers, which have identical mass but possess subtle structural differences not easily detected by conventional analytical technologies. The new tool uses techniques called tandem mass spectrometry and the Paternò-Büchi reaction.

In tandem mass spectrometry, charged molecules are fragmented into pieces, which are then measured and identified by their mass. A so-called "shotgun lipidomics" analysis enhanced by the Paternò-Büchi photochemical reaction, which modifies double bonds into rings that can then be easily cleaved into two parts. This allows the bonds to be measured and identified using mass spectrometry. The method can be completed within hours, starting with small amounts of tissue, tens of milligrams, compared to weeks and hundreds of milligrams using conventional analytical techniques.

Although the study was conducted using a conventional laboratory mass spectrometer, the same operation could be carried out with a new miniature mass spectrometer. Whereas conventional mass spectrometers are relatively heavy, bulky instruments, Purdue scientists have recently developed miniature mass spectrometers, including the Mini 12, (PURSPEC Technologies Inc.; West Lafayette, IN, USA) which weighs 18 kg, is 31.8 cm wide and 40.6 cm high. The system was used to identify 96 unsaturated fatty acids and glycerophospholipids in the brain tissue of rats, revealing that 50% of the lipids were mixtures of isomers characterized by the location of their carbon-carbon double bonds.

Zheng Ouyang, PhD, a professor and coauthor of the study, said, “Direct analysis using ambient sampling methods will further speed up the analysis process from hours to a minute. We want to apply this to imaging to study tissue, and we currently are integrating this method into miniature mass spectrometry systems. Eventually we hope to have biologists and medical professionals using it.” The study was published on February 22, 2016, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).

Related Links:

Purdue University
PURSPEC Technologies Inc. 


Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
HLX
POCT Fluorescent Immunoassay Analyzer
FIA Go
Gold Member
Real-time PCR System
GentierX3 Series

Print article

Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: MOF materials efficiently enrich cfDNA and cfRNA in blood through simple operational process (Photo courtesy of Science China Press)

Blood Circulating Nucleic Acid Enrichment Technique Enables Non-Invasive Liver Cancer Diagnosis

The ability to diagnose diseases early can significantly enhance the effectiveness of clinical treatments and improve survival rates. One promising approach for non-invasive early diagnosis is the use... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The low-cost portable device rapidly identifies chemotherapy patients at risk of sepsis (Photo courtesy of 52North Health)

POC Finger-Prick Blood Test Determines Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Neutropenia, a decrease in neutrophils (a type of white blood cell crucial for fighting infections), is a frequent side effect of certain cancer treatments. This condition elevates the risk of infections,... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The OvaCis Rapid Test discriminates benign from malignant epithelial ovarian cysts (Photo courtesy of INEX)

Intra-Operative POC Device Distinguishes Between Benign and Malignant Ovarian Cysts within 15 Minutes

Ovarian cysts represent a significant health issue for women globally, with up to 10% experiencing this condition at some point in their lives. These cysts form when fluid collects within a thin membrane... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.