Trends in mass spectrometry imaging for cardiovascular diseases.

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a widely established technology; however, in the cardiovascular research field, its use is still emerging. The technique has the advantage of analyzing multiple molecules without prior knowledge while maintaining the relation with tissue morphology. Particularly, MALDI-based approaches have been applied to obtain in-depth knowledge of cardiac (dys)function. Here, we discuss the different aspects of the MSI protocols, from sample handling to instrumentation used in cardiovascular research, and critically evaluate these methods. The trend towards structural lipid analysis, identification, and "top-down" protein MSI shows the potential for implementation in (pre)clinical research and complementing the diagnostic tests. Moreover, new insights into disease progression are expected and thereby contribute to the understanding of underlying mechanisms related to cardiovascular diseases.