Determination of testosterone in serum by magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer-coupled nano-ESI-MS

Proteomics mining of cancer hallmarks on a single-cell resolution

Dysregulated proteome is an essential contributor in carcinogenesis. Protein fluctuations fuel the progression of malignant transformation, such as uncontrolled proliferation, metastasis, and chemo/radiotherapy resistance, which severely impair therapeutic effectiveness and cause disease recurrence and eventually mortality among cancer patients. Cellular heterogeneity is widely observed in cancer and numerous cell subtypes have been characterized that greatly influence cancer progression. Population-averaged research may not fully reveal the heterogeneity, leading to inaccurate conclusions. Thus, deep mining of the multiplex proteome at the single-cell resolution will provide new insights into cancer biology, to develop prognostic biomarkers and treatments. Considering the recent advances in single-cell proteomics, herein we review several novel technologies with particular focus on single-cell mass spectrometry analysis, and summarize their advantages and practical applications in the diagnosis and treatment for cancer. Technological development in single-cell proteomics will bring a paradigm shift in cancer detection, intervention, and therapy.

The Effect of Polymerization Techniques on the Creation of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Sensors and Their Application on Pharmaceutical Compounds

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have become more prevalent in fabricating sensor applications, particularly in medicine, pharmaceuticals, food quality monitoring, and the environment. The ease of their preparation, adaptability of templates, superior affinity and specificity, improved stability, and the possibility for downsizing are only a few benefits of these sensors. Moreover, from a medical perspective, monitoring therapeutic medications and determining pharmaceutical compounds in their pharmaceutical forms and biological systems is very important. Additionally, because medications are hazardous to the environment, effective, quick, and affordable determination in the surrounding environment is of major importance. Concerning a variety of performance criteria, including sensitivity, specificity, low detection limits, and affordability, MIP sensors outperform other published technologies for analyzing pharmaceutical drugs. MIP sensors have, therefore, been widely used as one of the most crucial techniques for analyzing pharmaceuticals. The first part of this review provides a detailed explanation of the many polymerization techniques that were employed to create high-performing MIP sensors. In the subsequent section of the review, the utilization of MIP-based sensors for quantifying the drugs in their pharmaceutical preparation, biological specimens, and environmental samples are covered in depth. Finally, a critical evaluation of the potential future research paths for MIP-based sensors clarifies the use of MIP in pharmaceutical fields.

Rapid and Simultaneous Determination of Anabolic Andro-Genic Steroids in Livestock and Poultry Meat Using One-Step Solid-Phase Extraction Coupled with UHPLC-MS/MS

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs) are usually illegally added to animal feed because they can significantly promote animal growth and increase carcasses' leanness, which threatens the safety of animal-derived foods and indirectly hazards human health. This study aimed to establish an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous detection of twelve AAS residues in livestock and poultry meat. The homogenized samples were extracted with acetonitrile containing 1% acetic acid (v/v) and purified using the one-step extraction column. After concentration using nitrogen, the residues were redissolved in acetonitrile and then quantified with an external standard method using UHPLC-MS/MS. The results showed that the above-mentioned method had a satisfactory linear correlation (R2 ≥ 0.9903) with a concentration range of 1-100 μg/L, and the limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) were 0.03-0.33 μg/kg and 0.09-0.90 μg/kg, respectively. With the intraday and interday precision less than 15%, the average recoveries of pork, beef, lamb, and chicken, at different spiked levels, ranged from 68.3 to 93.3%, 68.0 to 99.4%, 71.6 to 109.8%, and 70.5 to 97.7%, respectively. Overall, the established method is validated, precise, and capable of the high-throughput determination of the residues of twelve AASs in livestock and poultry meat.