Malditof profiling and imaging
The first applications of mass spectrometry in clinical were as a method adapted to highly complex protein sample analysis in laboratories pathobiology, using high levels of sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of tumor processes, and other hereditary disorders markers of pathology.
Today, one of the main applications of MALDI is bacterial identification in microbiology laboratories (MALDI Biotyoper), which has established itself as a fast and efficient analytical method has allowed the characterization of a large collection of microorganisms importance in the field of clinical microbiology (Clark et al., 2013).
Moreover, the MALDI Imaging technology has become a powerful tool for molecular analysis of tissue sections (histological preparations), providing information on the spatial distribution and relative abundance of different components in these sections. This technology is very advantageous because it requires no specific target markers (such as immunohistochemical techniques), can detect in situ proteins, peptides, drugs and metabolites, has high sensitivity and high performance (Deutskens et al., 2011).
Finally, in the MALDI Profiling identifying biomolecules (mostly peptide and protein nature) is carried out on biological fluids such as serum, urine and tissue extracts.
Objectives:
1) Application of MALDITOF techniques to the Veterinary Pathology.
2) Using the MALDITOF profiling in the identification of proteins as early biomarkers of joint disease in domestic animals.
3) Study of protein profile in canine digestive tumors by means MALDI Imaging technique, to establish premature protein changes as markers for malignant transformation.
Start date: February 1st, 2013
Head of the research line:
Rodríguez Bertos, Antonio Manuel
VISAVET unit involved:
• Animal Pathology and Veterinary Forensic Unit (SAP)
