ICP-MS and Trace Element Analysis as Tools for Better Understanding Medical Conditions: Volume 97

Trace elements play an important role in biological functions and metabolism of the human body. Therefore, alterations in elemental concentration and distribution in tissues and body fluids is a point of interest in life sciences. Trace elements can be used as disease biomarkers and, collectively, for diagnosis. Recent advances in analytical instrumentation and methods (e.g. single particle and single cell determination capabilities, chemical speciation, and imaging techniques), in combination with advanced statistical tools and machine learning, have greatly expanded the possibilities of the field, with an increasing number of studies highlighting the importance of trace elements for better understanding medical conditions and pathologies.