The use of MALDI-MSI in the investigation of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders: A review

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) is a mass spectrometry technique used for the analysis of macromolecules on an intact tissue of interest, thereby allowing the assessment of molecular signatures in health and disease in the anatomical context. MALDI-MSI is increasingly used to investigate neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders at the molecular level, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and schizophrenia (SCZ). These illnesses are characterized by complex neuropathological processes, and conventional proteomic techniques investigating brain tissue homogenates have inherent limitations in determining the precise anatomical or cellular location of proteomic findings. In this article, we review MALDI-MSI studies on neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, and explore whether the technique could accelerate the translation of proteomic information into improved understanding and ultimately better therapeutic applications.