Quantitative bioanalysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for clinical diagnosis

Beneficial from the strengths in sensitivity, elemental selectivity and multiplex capability, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has emerged as a powerful tool for determination of disease biomarkers in clinical practice. In this field, specific biomolecular interactions between analytes and metal tags greatly facilitate precise target recognition and probe binding in complex biomatrices, and this enables the accuracy of ICP-MS bioassay for diagnostic applications. This review aims to underscore the effectiveness of specific bio-interactions in advancing element-tagged ICP-MS technique for biomarker quantification, cell analysis and tissue imaging. Recent progresses of elemental ICP-MS bioassay in clinical practice will be reviewed in the aspects of elemental-tagging approach, specific bio-interaction type and strength, time-resolved ICP-MS, laser ablation ICP-MS, as well as its prospects and future challenges.