Advances in DESI-MS for Intraoperative Brain Cancer Diagnosis: A Review from Purdue University

Researchers at Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana) prepared a review article (1) focusing on the developments and applications of desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) in both offline and intraoperative brain cancer diagnosis. The paper, published in the Journal of Mass Spectrometry and Advances in the Clinical Lab, also discusses other ambient ionization mass spectrometry (AIMS) methods employed in brain cancer research, as well as the potential impact of AIMS techniques on glioma diagnosis.

As the population increases in both amount and age, so too does the incidence of cancer, which the urgent need for rapid and accurate diagnostic tools to detect and assess cancer biomarkers. Among the cancers affecting the central nervous system (CNS), glioma (a growth of cells that starts in the brain or spinal cord), is the most aggressive and complex (2,3). Craniotomy, the surgical removal of the section of bone called the bone flap to expose the brain, which is then replaced after the brain surgery has been done (4), the chief treatment for glioma, significantly affects both the prognosis of the patient and their survival. However, the need to preserve healthy brain function often results in an incomplete tumor resection, due to the glioma cells infiltrating adjacent tissue. These residual tumor cells often contribute to recurrence of the cancer, with many of these cases progressing to higher-grade gliomas which are more resistant to chemotherapy and radiation. Furthermore, second surgeries often offer limited benefit for patients (5,6).

Among the techniques explored for the diagnosis of glioma, MS, because of its sensitivity and ability to identify molecules, has been found to offer a higher level of specificity as opposed to spectroscopic methods, and has become gradually integrated into both research and clinical systems (7). DESI, the first AIMS technique, has proven to be useful in the analysis of a wide range of biomolecules, such as amino acids, drug compounds, peptides, and proteins (8).

The article highlights research conducted at Purdue University over the past two decades. “This body of work reflects the collective contributions of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, clinical collaborators, and many others,” the authors write. “It is rooted in pioneering efforts to expand the applications of MS through ambient ionization, while preserving its hallmark features of chemical specificity and sensitivity. (1)”

“The experiences of the Purdue group parallel those of other research teams and underscore several key lessons: (i) affirmation of the remarkable power and broad applicability of MS, now recognized as one of the most vital tools in molecular science; (ii) recognition of its societal value in advancing human health and diagnostics; (iii) the importance of perseverance—especially when working on rare diseases, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and geographic barriers to clinical collaboration; and (iv) the motivational role of both inter- and intra-group scientific competition in driving innovation,” the authors wrote (1).

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References

1. Shahi, M.; Cooks, R. G. Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry in Brain Cancer Diagnosis. J. Mass Spectrom. Adv. Clin. Lab. 2025, 38, 37-49. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmsacl.2025.10.002
2. Louis, D. N.; Perry, A.; Wesseling, P. et al. The 2021 WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System: A Summary. Neuro Oncol.2021, 23, 1231-1251. DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noab106
3. Glioma. Mayo Clinic website.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glioma/symptoms-causes/syc-20350251 (accessed 2025-11-10)
4. Craniotomy. Johns Hopkins Medicine website. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/craniotomy (accessed 2025-11-10)
5. Van Linde, M. E.; Brahm, C. G.; De Witt, P. C. et al. Treatment Outcome of Patients with Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme: A Retrospective Multicenter Analysis. J. Neurooncol. 2017, 183-192. DOI: 10.1007/s11060-017-2564-z
6. Iwamoto, F. M.; Abrey, L. E.; Beal, K. et al. Patterns of Relapse and Prognosis after Bevacizumab Failure in Recurrent Glioblastoma. Neurology 2009, 73, 1200-1206. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181bc0184
7. Zhang, J.; Sans, M.; Garza, K. Y. et al. Mass Spectrometry Technologies toAdvance Care for Cancer Patients in Clinical and Intraoperative Use.Mass Spectrom. Rev. 2021, 40 (5), 692-720. DOI: 10.1002/mas.21664
8. Takáts, Z.; Wiseman, J. M.; Gologan, B. et al. Mass Spectrometry Sampling under Ambient Conditions with Desorption Electrospray Ionization. Science 2004, 306, 471-473. DOI: 10.1126/science.1104404