Imaging and spatially resolved quantification of drug distribution in tissues by mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a powerful label-free technique for visualizing drug and metabolite distributions in biological tissues. In this review, we discuss recent developments in MSI and spatial profiling technologies to visualize and quantify drug distributions in tissues. We also present recent examples of applications of these technologies for assessing drug distribution within tissues and individual cells. Finally, we focus on an emerging technique coupling laser capture microdissection (LCM) to quantitative mass spectrometry, which combines the respective advantages of imaging and conventional liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, and thus enables spatially resolved drug quantification.