Rings with Wings, Modified Cyclodextrins for Non-covalent Derivatization in Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Lipids

Non-polar lipids like cholesterol play critical roles in disease but are notoriously difficult to detect with mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) due to poor ionization. This project introduces a novel, non-covalent derivatization approach using ionizable cyclodextrins (ICDs) to selectively enhance detection of these elusive lipids. Unlike conventional methods, ICDs minimize complex sample preparation and feature useful size-selectivity in binding. By enabling fast, high-resolution visualization of lipid distributions in biological samples, this strategy would transform chemical imaging and unlock new investigatory tools into the role of lipids in metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases—significantly expanding the reach of MSI in biomedical research.