Detecting targets using mass tags and mass spectrometry

Abstract

Particular disclosed embodiments disclosed herein concern using a one or more various mass tags, which can be specifically deposited at targets through direct or indirect enzymatic-catalyzed transformation, to provide a method for identifying targets in tissue samples. The mass tags may be labeled with stable isotopes to produce mass tags having the same chemical structure but different masses. Mass codes produced by ionizing the mass tags are detected and/or quantified using mass spectrometry. The method can be used for multiplexed detection of multiple targets in a particular sample. In some embodiments, a map divided into sections representing sections of the tissue sample may be prepared, with the map sections including data corresponding to quantification data wherein the size of a mass peak is determined and correlated with the amount of a target for the corresponding tissue sample section.