Search

In order to utilize complementary imaging techniques to supply higher resolution data for fusion with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) chemical images, there are a number of aspects that, if not given proper consideration, could produce results which are easy to misinterpret. One of the most critical aspects is that the two input images must be of the same exact analysis area. With the desire to explore new higher resolution data sources that exists outside of the mass spectrometer, this requirement becomes even more important. To ensure that two input images are of the same region, an implementation of the insight segmentation and registration toolkit (ITK) was developed to act as a preprocessing step before performing image fusion. This implementation of ITK allows for several degrees of movement between two input images to be accounted for, including translation, rotation, and scale transforms. First, the implementation was confirmed to accurately register two multimodal images by supplying a known transform. Once validated, two model systems, a copper mesh grid and a group of RAW 264.7 cells, were used to demonstrate the use of the ITK implementation to register a SIMS image with a microscopy image for the purpose of performing image fusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve successful drug delivery via nanoparticles the interactions between the nanoparticle and the chemistry of the surrounding biological environment is of central importance. A thorough understanding of these interactions is necessary in order to better elucidate information regarding drug pathways and mechanisms of action in treatment protocols. As such, it is important to identify the location of the nanoparticle, the state of its functionalization, as well as any changes in the cellular environment. The use of cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) using C60+ primary ions makes simultaneous acquisition of this information possible. Here, SIMS has been successfully used to chemically image gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) within a model, single cell system involving macrophage-like RAW 264.7 cells. The macrophage-like properties of this cell line make it extremely well-suited for cell-uptake studies. Both AuNPs and two pharmaceutical compounds, amiodarone and elacridar, were successfully imaged within a cellular system using cluster SIMS. To verify that SIMS can also be used to detect functionalization and nanoparticles simultaneously, fluorophore-functionalized AuNPs were studied as a model system. The fluorescent characteristics of these functionalized nanoparticles enabled the visual confirmation of the presence and location of the particles within the cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major limitation of SIMS studies of cells is the limited number of molecules available for detection. This study examines the possibility of utilizing a molecular tag that is easily identifiable using SIMS and does not interfere with the mass spectra of commonly identified cellular components, to aid in the visualization of specific cellular organelles. Here, a fluorescent, nuclear stain (Hoechst 33342) was used to allow for verification of the staining protocols prior to SIMS analysis. The stain was successfully chemically imaged within the nuclear region of a glutaraldehyde-fixed bovine aortic endothelial cell. The ability to chemically map a larger variety of organelles and cellular components will allow for further possible study of a greater number of biological pathways and processes, as well as make cell-drug studies more feasible using SIMS. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]