Poster Presentations
Day 3, June 12（Fri.） Room P (5F 501+502)
- 3P-05
Hybrid Elemental–Molecular Imaging of Calcified and Hard Tissues: Methodological Optimization and Applications
(Dokkyo Med. Univ.)
oTadayuki Ogawa
Molecular and elemental imaging of calcified and hard tissues (e.g., bone and teeth) is technically challenging due to difficulties in preparing uniform, smooth, and conductive thin sections. Conventional decalcification methods cause structural damage and loss of molecules and elements, making them unsuitable for high-resolution molecular and elemental analyses. We developed a modified sample preparation workflow using aluminum foil, together with a custom device (“Doku-Pita”) that enables wrinkle-free, reproducible transfer of fragile frozen sections onto ITO-coated glass slides. This approach allows smooth mounting of hard-tissue sections suitable for mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and SEM-EDX analysis. Using this method, we successfully visualized phospholipids, fatty acids, and oxidative stress–related metabolites by MSI, as well as elemental distributions such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron by X-ray mapping. The method was validated in rabbit femur and is now being extended to human clinical specimens, including calcified aortic valves, cataractous lenses, biliary stents, ossified ligaments, and keratinized tissues. This workflow provides a practical and versatile platform for high-spatial-resolution molecular and elemental imaging of calcified and mineralized tissues that have previously been difficult to analyze.