MALDI Profiling MS Application to Analysis of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) profiling for tissue section analysis is rapidly developed in foundamental and clinical medical research. Through scanning on the frozen tissue slices, distribution information of molecules such as protein and peptides from a certain tissue were directly obtained in little time by profiling MS technology. Based on the profiling MS technology, human being's non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissue and paracancerous tissue slices were investigated furthermore, matrix application method and mass spectrometry acquisition mode were optimized, a profiling MS method analysis of NSCLC for biomarkers was established afterward. 10 μm frozen tissue slices was prepared at -20 ℃,then,15 g·L-1 matrix α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic-acid (CHCA) 50% acetonitrile solution containing 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) were air-sprayed onto the tissue surface. After ten cycles of coating and drying, tissue slices were placed in a dessicator until completely dried. Both reflector mode and linear mode were employed for mass scan. By investigating 10 couples of NSCLC carcinoma/paracancerous tissue slices from three different patients, it indicates that cluster peaks appears in the m/z ranges from 3 000 to 3 500 is the characteristic of NSCLC. Moreover, the profiling MS technique, which can directly display the differences of carcinoma/aracancerous tissue at the molecular level, it could be employed to improve the clinical diagnosis accuracy of NSCLC.