Abstract
The human metabolome provides a window into the mechanisms and biomarkers of various diseases. However, because of limited availability, many sample types are still difficult to study by metabolomic analyses. Here, we present a mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics strategy that only consumes sub-nanoliter sample volumes. The approach consists of combining a customized metabolomics workflow with a pulsed MS ion generation method, known as triboelectric nanogenerator inductive nanoelectrospray ionization (TENGi nanoESI) MS. Samples tested with this approach include exhaled breath condensate collected from cystic fibrosis patients as well as in vitro-cultured human mesenchymal stromal cells. Both test samples are only available in minimum amounts. Experiments show that picoliter-volume spray pulses suffice to generate high-quality spectral fingerprints, which increase the information density produced per unit sample volume. This TENGi nanoESI strategy has the potential to fill in the gap in metabolomics where liquid chromatography-MS-based analyses cannot be applied. Our method opens up avenues for future investigations into understanding metabolic changes caused by diseases or external stimuli.
Highlights
The human metabolome provides a window into the mechanisms and biomarkers of various diseases
Examination of metabolic changes of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) cultured under conditions that may impact in vitro therapeutic activity, such as aggregate culture[12], or preconditioning with interferon-γ (IFN-γ)[13], is critical for identifying attributes of cell quality
We aimed to address the feasibility of assessing the airway metabolic profile in young children because glucose metabolism worsens as CF-related diabetes (CFRD) develops
Summary
The human metabolome provides a window into the mechanisms and biomarkers of various diseases. The approach consists of combining a customized metabolomics workflow with a pulsed MS ion generation method, known as triboelectric nanogenerator inductive nanoelectrospray ionization (TENGi nanoESI) MS. Samples tested with this approach include exhaled breath condensate collected from cystic fibrosis patients as well as in vitro-cultured human mesenchymal stromal cells. Experiments show that picoliter-volume spray pulses suffice to generate high-quality spectral fingerprints, which increase the information density produced per unit sample volume This TENGi nanoESI strategy has the potential to fill in the gap in metabolomics where liquid chromatography-MS-based analyses cannot be applied. Reducing cell numbers required to perform MSC metabolomic analysis is essential for improving the manufacturing of highly therapeutic MSCs without significantly impeding production
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