Tandem Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

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The research focus of the new institute of clinical pharmacology in Aachen lays in the better understanding of individual differences in people's reactions to drugs and xenobiotics. The resulting findings should serve to develop safer, more efficient and individually tailored therapies for patients. In addition to the analysis of genetic variations of enzymes that metabolize xenobiotic substances, individual metabolic profiling by drug analytic quantification in plasma or other biosamples allows to individualize drug therapies. In human bio-samples, individual metabolic profiles can be examined organ- or cell-specific. Associations analyses between concentrations of metabolites and drugs and the desired or undesirable drug effects can be drawn.The mass spectrometer will serve for drug quantification and monitoring in clinical research projects and in cell biology or toxicological research projects as part of clinical pharmacological research. Specifically, the device is to be used for the following analyzes and research areas: Investigations of the individual drug metabolism and enzyme kinetics in different tissue cultures, clinical pharmacogenetic research, biophysical pharmacology of ion channels, elucidation of the human metabolism of polychlorinated biphenyls in the context of clinical toxicological studies. As we deal with rare side effects and peculiarities in metabolism, determinations of toxic metabolites may be just as necessary as the investigation and identification of new biotransformation products formed. The investigations in cell cultures and tissue samples are also aimed at these questions, which is why, especially in the field of research on personalized medicine, the determination of drugs in very low concentration ranges is necessary, right down to the picomole range - for which the use of high-resolution mass spectrometric methods is required . So far, these examinations have been carried out at the applicant's previous job, but in the course of her new appointment to the University Hospital Aachen for the establishment of a clinical pharmacology, the need for such a device was considered necessary here - also to support clinical pharmacological research in the university hospital.The tandem mass spectrometer is to be used decentrally and located in the equipment pool of the Institute for Occupational Medicine with the necessary technical and scientific mass spectrometric expertise and expert equipment support. The device is to be used for scientific research in the field of pharmacokinetics and toxicokinetics and these methods are to be incorporated into scientific collaborations and collaborative research projects (cooperation model). In addition to the technical staff, access to the device should also be made possible for scientists and doctoral candidates with sufficient MS experience.The device is intended to establish this specific methodology at the University Hospital Aachen and to enable scientific collaborations.