biostudies-literatureUnknown6Barnette D<h4>Introduction</h4>In 2015, the FDA released a Drug Safety Communication regarding a possible link between opioid exposure during early pregnancy and an increased risk of fetal neural tube defects (NTDs). At the time, the indications for opioid use during pregnancy were not changed due to incomplete maternal toxicity data and limitations in human and animal studies. To assess these knowledge gaps, largescale animal studies are ongoing; however, state-of-the-art technologies have emerged as promising tools to assess otherwise non-standard endpoints. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) is a dynamic approach capable of generating 2D ion images to visualize the distribution of an analyte of interest across a tissue section.<h4>Methods</h4>Given tFrontiers in toxicology1452974https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11651024biostudies-literatureThe incorporation of MALDI mass spectrometry imaging in studies to identify markers of toxicity following <i>in utero</i> opioid exposures in mouse fetuses.PMC11651024Davis KMalhi PInselman ALSarkar SBeger RDJones EEKaldhone PBarnette DLee GSHanig JPFisher JEfalseThe incorporation of MALDI mass spectrometry imaging in studies to identify markers of toxicity following <i>in utero</i> opioid exposures in mouse fetuses.<h4>Introduction</h4>In 2015, the FDA released a Drug Safety Communication regarding a possible link between opioid exposure during early pregnancy and an increased risk of fetal neural tube defects (NTDs). At the time, the indications for opioid use during pregnancy were not changed due to incomplete maternal toxicity data and limitations in human and animal studies. To assess these knowledge gaps, largescale animal studies are ongoing; however, state-of-the-art technologies have emerged as promising tools to assess otherwise non-standard endpoints. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) is a dynamic approach capable of generating 2D ion images to visualize the distribution of an analyte of interest across a tissue section.<h4>Methods</h4>Given t2024-01-01T00:00:00Z20242026-06-01T12:44:37.919Z2025-04-04T01:46:07.155ZS-EPMC116510243969115810.3389/ftox.2024.1452974