Scientists and physicians from Johns Hopkins and several other institutions gathered to share exciting new research during the 5^th annual Mass Spectrometry Day at The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s East Baltimore campus on Sept. 17.

Mass spectrometry is an analytical laboratory technique that allows scientists to identify chemical compounds using lasers to determine the weight of molecules. This allows researchers to identify, quantify and study chemical compounds in a sample.

The event was organized in part by Dr. Kristine Glunde, professor of Radiology and founding director of the Johns Hopkins Applied Imaging Mass Spectrometry (AIMS) Core facility. The AIMS Core Facility uses rapid matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging to perform mass spectrometry analysis on a variety of chemical compounds.

The day’s event featured 12 speakers sharing their pioneering research into mass spectrometry in biomedical research. The presenters, fellows and faculty from Johns Hopkins, King’s College in London and the University of Pittsburgh, represented departments including neurology, pathology, radiology, and more. The aim of the event was to showcase the important role mass spectrometry plays in moving critical biomedical research forward.

The first session’s presentations focused on utilizing mass spectrometry to discover new biomarkers for serious conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinsons’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Biomarkers are measurable signs that tell a physician that a patient is sick.

Presenters in this session discussed the various ways mass spectrometry allows researchers to closely examine molecular changes to proteins and other specialized cells to detect and treat diseases before they do extensive damage within the body.

Following a coffee break, session two kicked off a discussion of spatial multiomics. In this pioneering field of study, scientists use mass spectrometry techniques to study specific types of molecules, including RNA, proteins and metabolites, within their exact location within tissue.

Traditionally, mass spectrometry required a tissue sample to be ground up before analysis could occur. With this older method, the chemical components of the sample could be studied, but not where they had been located within the sample.

Presentations during this session included a look at how copper aids liver cancer in evading a patient’s immune system and how mass spectrometry helped researchers prove a link between metal ions shedding from implants and an increased immune response in patients.

Among the presenters in session two was Dr. Tae-Hun Hahn, a research associate in Dr. Glunde’s lab. Dr. Hahn’s presentation focused on FluoMALDI microscopy – a technique in which MALDI imaging is combined with fluorescent dye to allow scientists to examine the chemical makeup of a sample while simultaneously examining its physical structure within tissue. FluoMALDI imaging has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of diseases by allowing doctors to diagnose earlier, pinpoint specific triggers and more quickly show the efficacy of cancer-fighting treatments.

The day’s events also included a lunch session in which participants were invited to view posters summarizing other mass spectrometry research across Johns Hopkins.

Following lunch, the final presentations of the day focused on single-cell mass spectrometry and data integration. Single-cell mass spectrometry is a technique that allows researchers to view cells on an individual level, noting how each cell processes energy or drugs and triggers the body’s immune response. Data integration allows scientists to feed this data into computer software for further analysis.

There are myriad benefits to this new technology, including allowing researchers to detect single chemotherapy-resistant cells within a larger malignant tumor. Scientists could also potentially use the technique to track specific immune cells and analyze their responses to various diseases and conditions.

Through events like Mass Spectrometry Day, Johns Hopkins Radiology is leading the way in developing promising technologies to benefit patients across the globe. By utilizing mass spectrometry imaging in innovative new ways, researchers are breaking new ground in precision medicine, leading to more effective, less invasive treatments for all.