MALDI mass spectrometry in medical research and diagnostic routine laboratories

Franz Hillenkamp and Michael Karas in the eighties of the last century invented and developed the matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Very soon after their invention, MALDI became one of the main tools for the identification of proteins and therefore for proteomics. With MALDI, not only peptides and proteins but also other larger biomolecules like glycans, lipids, and nucleotides are detectable. Thus, it is not surprising that MALDI has become a powerful instrument in medical research and today is well established in routine medical laboratories. This review highlights the first pioneering years after the invention of MALDI-MS with respect to its impact on applications in medicine. Furthermore, the most important developments of MALDI-based techniques in medical research and routine laboratories are reviewed, such as MALDI mass spectrometric imaging and identification of bacteria.