Visualization of metallodrugs in single cells by secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging

Secondary ion mass spectrometry, including nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF–SIMS), has emerged as a powerful tool for biological imaging, especially for single cell imaging. SIMS imaging can provide information on subcellular distribution of endogenous and exogenous chemicals, including metallodrugs, from membrane through to cytoplasm and nucleus without labeling, and with high spatial resolution and chemical specificity. In this mini-review, we summarize recent progress in the field of SIMS imaging, particularly in the characterization of the subcellular distribution of metallodrugs. We anticipate that the SIMS imaging method will be widely applied to visualize subcellular distributions of drugs and drug candidates in single cells, exerting significant influence on early drug evaluation and metabolism in medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry. Graphical abstract Recent progress of SIMS applications in characterizing the subcellular distributions of metallodrugs was summarized.