Matrix-and Surface-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Methods for Urological Cancer Biomarker Discovery - Metabolomics and Lipidomics Approaches

Sep 21, 2026

Urinary tract cancers of the bladder, kidneys, and prostate account for over 12% of global cancer incidence and mortality, driving the need for innovative diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Biomarkers—genes, proteins, metabolites, or lipids—support early detection and outcome prediction. Soft ionization mass spectrometry, including electrospray ionization and laser desorption/ionization, enables sensitive metabolic profiling in complex samples. The review emphasizes MALDI and SALDI, together with mass spectrometry imaging, for discovering metabolic and lipid biomarkers in major urological cancers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Biomarkers in urological cancers

Metabolic profiling rationale

Mass spectrometry for metabolomics and lipidomics

Soft ionization: ESI, MALDI, and SALDI

Study scope and MSI relevance

Review Matrix-and Surface-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Methods for Urological Cancer Biomarker Discovery—Metabolomics and Lipidomics Approaches Adrian Arendowski Citation: Arendowski, A. Matrixand Surface-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Methods for Urological Cancer Biomarker Discovery—Metabolomics and Lipidomics Approaches. Metabolites 2024, 14, 173 . [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)metabo14030173 Academic Editor: Troy D. Wood Received: 23 January 2024 Revised: 7 March 2024 Accepted: 17 March 2024 Published: 20 March 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . Centre for Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toru ´n, Wile ´nska 4, 87-100 Toru ´n, Poland; [adrian@arendowski.hub.pl](adrian@arendowski.hub.pl); Tel.: +48-56-665-6001 Abstract: Urinary tract cancers, including those of the bladder, the kidneys, and the prostate, represent over 12% of all cancers, with significant global incidence and mortality rates. The continuous challenge that these cancers present necessitates the development of innovative diagnostic and prognostic methods, such as identifying specific biomarkers indicative of cancer. Biomarkers, which can be genes, proteins, metabolites, or lipids, are vital for various clinical purposes including early detection and prognosis. Mass spectrometry (MS), particularly soft ionization techniques such as electrospray ionization (ESI) and laser desorption/ionization (LDI), has emerged as a key tool in metabolic profiling for biomarker discovery, due to its high resolution, sensitivity, and ability to analyze complex biological samples. Among the LDI techniques, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization (SALDI) should be mentioned. While MALDI methodology, which uses organic compounds as matrices, is effective for larger molecules, SALDI, based on the various types of nanoparticles and nanostructures, is preferred for smaller metabolites and lipids due to its reduced spectral interference. This study highlights the application of LDI techniques, along with mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), in identifying potential metabolic and lipid biomarkers for urological cancers, focusing on the most common bladder, kidney, and prostate cancers. Keywords: biomarkers; bladder cancer; kidney cancer; lipids; matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization; mass spectrometry; metabolites; prostate cancer; surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization 1. Introduction Urinary tract cancers, including bladder, kidney, and prostate cancers, are among the most common cases and account for over 12% of all cancers [1] . According to GLOBOCAN, in 2020, approximately 2.5 million new cases of urinary tract cancers and almost 800,000 deaths due to them were recorded around the world [1] . For this reason, urological cancers remain a great challenge, and it is necessary to search for new diagnostic and prognostic procedures, for example, those based on the detection of characteristic chemical compounds that may indicate the development of cancer, called biomarkers. The National Institutes of Health provide a definition for “biomarker” as a characteristic that is objectively assessed and analyzed to serve as an indication of normal biological processes, pathological processes, or the pharmaceutical response to a therapeutic intervention [2] . Cancer biomarkers are generated either by the tumor itself or by the body in reaction to the presence of the tumor [3] . Various types of biomarkers can be distinguished based on clini

FAQs

Why are urinary tract cancer biomarkers important?

They enable early detection and improve diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic guidance for cancers of the bladder, kidneys, and prostate.

What role do soft ionization mass spectrometry methods play?

Soft ionization techniques like ESI and laser desorption/ionization support high-resolution and sensitive analysis of complex biological samples for biomarker discovery.

How do MALDI and SALDI differ for metabolite and lipid analysis?

MALDI is effective for larger molecules using organic matrices, while SALDI relies on nanoparticles/nanostructures and is preferred for smaller metabolites and lipids due to reduced spectral interference.

Sep 21, 2026

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