ABSTRACT
Mass spectrometry-based bioanalytical methods play an important role in the entire process of searching for new medicines to improve the quality of human life. In this chapter, the authors describe the use of Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometric imaging as a tool for the pharmaceutical analysis of drug compounds and their metabolites in the drug discovery and development process. It is important to know how long a drug remains in the body, and MALDI–imaging mass spectrometry can help to measure that parameter as well. Several analytical techniques exist to image the distribution of small molecules in the body. Generally, they can be divided into two groups: non-invasive in vivo techniques and ex vivo/in vitro techniques. Autoradiography is one of the most common techniques used today in the pharmaceutical industry for examining the distribution of a drug candidate in the body ex vivo. Secondary-ion mass spectrometry has been used for imaging surfaces for more than 40 years.
