Expanding Boundaries in Spatial Metabolomics and Lipidomics: Advances in Mass Spectrometry Imaging

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Advances in Metabolomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2025 | Viewed by 544

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
Interests: mass spectrometry imaging; lipidomics; metabolomics; spatial multiomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
Interests: mass spectrometry; lipidomics; metabolomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The field of metabolomics is seeing rapid advancements, particularly through the progress of mass spectrometry imaging techniques. These innovations are transforming our understanding of the distribution, dynamics, and function of small molecules in various biological systems.

We invite contributions that exhibit recent methodological advances, technical improvements, and novel applications of mass spectrometry imaging in lipidomics and metabolomics. Topics of interest include new imaging techniques, innovations in sample preparation and data analysis, and integrative approaches combining mass spectrometry imaging with other omics technologies. In addition, we welcome case studies in clinical, environmental, and biological research, and encourage advancements in computational tools and algorithms for lipidomics and metabolomics imaging data analysis.

This Special Issue aims to bring together a comprehensive collection of high-quality research articles, reviews, and perspectives that reflect current trends and future directions in spatial omics. By providing a platform for ground-breaking research, we hope to foster collaboration and propel the development of new technologies and applications in the field. This Special Issue will be a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and technologists to increase their understanding of lipid biology and metabolism through novel imaging techniques.

We look forward to your contributions, and to the exciting discoveries that will shape the future of spatial omics.

Dr. Vanna Denti
Dr. Simone Serrao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • spatial omics
  • mass spectrometry imaging
  • multimodal
  • imaging data analysis
  • spatial functional analysis
  • small-molecule biochemistry

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 4074 KB  
Article
Exploring 6-aza-2-Thiothymine as a MALDI-MSI Matrix for Spatial Lipidomics of Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Clinical Samples
by Natalia Shelly Porto, Simone Serrao, Greta Bindi, Nicole Monza, Claudia Fumagalli, Vanna Denti, Isabella Piga and Andrew Smith
Metabolites 2025, 15(8), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15080531 - 5 Aug 2025
Viewed by 372
Abstract
Background/Objectives: In recent years, lipids have emerged as critical regulators of different disease processes, being involved in cancer pathogenesis, progression, and outcome. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MALDI-MSI) has significantly expanded the technology’s reach, enabling spatially resolved profiling of lipids directly [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: In recent years, lipids have emerged as critical regulators of different disease processes, being involved in cancer pathogenesis, progression, and outcome. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MALDI-MSI) has significantly expanded the technology’s reach, enabling spatially resolved profiling of lipids directly from tissue, including formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens. In this context, MALDI matrix selection is crucial for lipid extraction and ionization, influencing key aspects such as molecular coverage and sensitivity, especially in such specimens with already depleted lipid content. Thus, in this work, we aim to explore the feasibility of mapping lipid species in FFPE clinical samples with MALDI-MSI using 6-aza-2-thiothymine (ATT) as a matrix of choice. Methods: To do so, ATT performances were first compared to those two other matrices commonly used for lipidomic analyses, 2′,5′-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) and Norharmane (NOR), on lipid standards. Results: As a proof-of-concept, we then assessed ATT’s performance for the MALDI-MSI analysis of lipids in FFPE brain sections, both in positive and negative ion modes, comparing results with those obtained from other commonly used dual-polarity matrices. In this context, ATT enabled the putative annotation of 98 lipids while maintaining a well-balanced detection of glycerophospholipids (60.2%) and sphingolipids (32.7%) in positive ion mode. It outperformed both DHB and NOR in the identification of glycolipids (3%) and fatty acids (4%). Additionally, ATT exceeded DHB in terms of total lipid count (62 vs. 21) and class diversity and demonstrated performance comparable to NOR in negative ion mode. Moreover, ATT was applied to a FFPE glioblastoma tissue microarray (TMA) evaluating the ability of this matrix to reveal biologically relevant lipid features capable of distinguishing normal brain tissue from glioblastoma regions. Conclusions: Altogether, the results presented in this work suggest that ATT is a suitable matrix for pathology imaging applications, even at higher lateral resolutions of 20 μm, not only for proteomic but also for lipidomic analysis. This could enable the use of the same matrix type for the analysis of both lipids and peptides on the same tissue section, offering a unique strategic advantage for multi-omics studies, while also supporting acquisition in both positive and negative ionization modes. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop