Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Briefing
  • Published:

Unlocking spatial metabolomics with isotopically labelled internal standards

We present a cost-effective normalization strategy for spatial metabolomics using uniformly 13C-labelled yeast extract, which addresses limitations of conventional methods and the physico-chemical complexity of water-soluble metabolites. Our approach outperforms standard normalization strategies and reveals hitherto unrecognized metabolic remodelling in the cortex after stroke, demonstrating its applicability.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Molecular histology and comparison of normalization strategies.

References

  1. Ma, S. Y. et al. High spatial resolution mass spectrometry imaging for spatial metabolomics: advances, challenges, and future perspectives. TrAC - Trends Anal. Chem 159, 116902 (2023). A review article about current technologies and challenges in spatial metabolomics.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Tobias, F. & Hummon, A. B. Considerations for MALDI-based quantitative mass spectrometry imaging studies. J. Proteome Res. 19, 3620–3630 (2020). A perspective outlining practical considerations for quantitative mass spectrometry imaging.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Balluff, B. et al. Batch effects in MALDI mass spectrometry imaging. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 32, 628–635 (2021). This paper addresses batch effects in mass spectrometry imaging analysis.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Vandenbosch, M. et al. Toward omics-scale quantitative mass spectrometry imaging of lipids in brain tissue using a multiclass internal standard mixture. Anal. Chem. 95, 18719–18730 (2023). A research article introducing the use of class-specific labelled internal standards for spatial lipidomics analysis.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Wang, G. Q. et al. Analyzing cell-type-specific dynamics of metabolism in kidney repair. Nat. Metab. 4, 1109–1118 (2022). A research article describing the use of lipids and UMAP analysis for molecular histology.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This is a summary of: Wang, G. et al. Spatial quantitative metabolomics enables identification of remote and sustained ipsilateral cortical metabolic reprogramming after stroke. Nat. Metab. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01340-8 (2025).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Unlocking spatial metabolomics with isotopically labelled internal standards. Nat Metab 7, 1730–1731 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01341-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01341-7

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing: Translational Research

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Translational Research newsletter — top stories in biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma.

Get what matters in translational research, free to your inbox weekly. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Translational Research