Scientists in China have developed a mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) platform capable of visualizing lipid metabolism at the single-cell level with submicrometer resolution. The system, based on a single-mode fiber image relay, achieves ~800 nm spatial resolution – well below the size of a typical cell – allowing researchers to probe how lipids reorganize during drug-induced apoptosis.
Traditional LC-MS approaches average signals across many cells, masking heterogeneity. Here, the team combined high-resolution MSI with microscopy and LC-MS to capture both bulk and phenotype-specific lipid data. Applying the method to HeLa and HepG2 cells, they observed clear dose- and time-dependent lipid remodeling in response to anticancer agents.
The results reveal that apoptosis is accompanied by coordinated metabolic shifts: structural phospholipids decline, while energy-storage lipids are dynamically mobilized. Crucially, different drugs produced distinct “lipid fingerprints,” reflecting their mechanisms of action, while individual cells within the same population showed marked variability.
Beyond apoptosis, the platform successfully imaged lipid distributions in mouse brain tissue, demonstrating broader applicability. The researchers suggest the approach could support drug development and precision medicine by linking metabolic changes to cellular phenotypes – one cell at a time.
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