Visualizing the cerebral distribution of chemical elements: A challenge met with LIBS elemental imaging

Abstract

Biological tissues contain various metals and metalloids ions with central role in the regulation of several pathophysiological functions. In parallel, the development and the evaluation of novel nanocompounds for biomedicine require the monitoring of their biodistribution in tissues of interest. Therefore, researchers need to use reliable and accessible techniques to detect and quantify major and trace elements in space-resolved manner. In this communication, we report how Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) can be used to image the distribution of chemical elements in brain tissues.

Keywords: Brain tissue; Elemental imaging; Endogenous elements; Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy; Nanoparticles.