Recent advances in LA-ICP-MS for biomedical applications

The applications of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) in biomedical research are progressively increasing in the last decade. The main advantage of this powerful analytical technique is the ability to perform multi-elemental analysis directly from biological samples, such as tissues, organs, and single cells, with minimal sample preparation. This feature is particularly important for studies regarding disease biomarkers and mechanism of action of drugs. In this mini-review, the recent advances in the use of LA-ICP-MS for the analysis of biological samples will be discussed, as well as representative biomedical applications.