Trace Elements (TE)

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Project Summary/Abstract: Trace Elements (TE) Shared Resource The Trace Element (TE) Shared Resource is a specialized facility dedicated to determining trace element concentration, and form of trace elements, in a wide variety of biological and environmental media. The chemistry of inorganic elements inextricably is linked with the study of cancer. Whether determining the fate and effects of known carcinogens (such as arsenic), the potential antagonistic effects of elements (such as selenium), or the therapeutic effects of platinum or Fe nanoparticles, there is a clear need for routine advanced trace element analytical methods to support cancer research. The critical nature of these services for the Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCCC) research program has led to designation of TE as an NCCC-supported Shared Resource and to a request for future CCSG funding. In the TE core, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) methodologies have been developed to provide analysis of trace metals in solids, solution, blood, and toenails. TE services include arsenic speciation in solutions, mercury speciation in solution, and ICP-MS tuning and operation for routine analysis. There have been notable examples of cancer research using TE resources. For example, the TE core developed innovative methods for determining Arsenic species in rice, juice, and toddler formulae. Also TE-developed spatial analyses show the distribution of a trace element within tissue sections, which is determined 'in situ' at pre-determined resolution, creating a 2-dimensional elemental image map from biological thin sections using laser ablation-ICP-MS. Using this technology, the TE core developed methods for detecting Fe, Cu, and Zn in rat brain sections. Analytical expertise is provided by the TE Core Director and a staff consisting of a PhD level scientist and an advanced Research Technician. The TE core has collaborated with NCCC researchers in 5 of the NCCC Programs (Cancer Epidemiology, Cancer Mechanisms, Molecular Therapeutics, Cancer Imaging & Radiobiology, and Immunology & Cancer Immunotherapy) to determine the concentration or form of trace elements in biological samples.