Clinical Mass Spectrometry Expands Across Pathology Disciplines
Mass spectrometry-based assays are now routinely deployed in therapeutic drug monitoring, toxicology, endocrinology, immunology, and microbiology, with emerging applications in proteomics, metabolomics, haematology, and anatomical pathology. The technology's combined advantages in multiplexing capacity, analytical specificity, and sensitivity continue to drive adoption. New ionisation methods and instrumentation are expected to further broaden the clinical utility of MS-based diagnostics.
The original study
Emerging role of clinical mass spectrometry in pathology.
- Authors
- Fung AWS, Sugumar V, Ren AH, Kulasingam V
- Journal
- Journal of clinical pathology
- Type
- Journal Article, Review
- PMID
- 31690564
Original abstract
Mass spectrometry-based assays have been increasingly implemented in various disciplines in clinical diagnostic laboratories for their combined advantages in multiplexing capacity and high analytical specificity and sensitivity. It is now routinely used in areas including reference methods development, therapeutic drug monitoring, toxicology, endocrinology, paediatrics, immunology and microbiology to identify and quantify biomolecules in a variety of biological specimens. As new ionisation methods, instrumentation and techniques are continuously being improved and developed, novel mass spectrometry-based clinical applications will emerge for areas such as proteomics, metabolomics, haematology and anatomical pathology. This review will summarise the general principles of mass spectrometry and specifically highlight current and future clinical applications in anatomical pathology.