Oestrogenic Profiling in Lung in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension by Mass Spectrometry Imaging

The primary focus of my research project is the examination of oestrogen metabolism in a models of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to allow for a comparative study between the sexes, as well as an assessment of the similarities and differences between the various forms of the disease (genetic, idiopathic) using LC-MS/MS. I will also be exploring regional surface profiling of oestrogens and their metabolites in cross-sections of lung tissue (rodent models of PAH) using MS imaging, which will be coupled with the development of a protocol for the on-tissue derivatisation and chemical tagging of oestrogens. Further development of an untargeted MS approach will hopefully provide an insight into wider spatial lipidomic variations and changes in lungs affected by PAH. The results of this research will be used to develop our understanding of the role of oestrogens and associated metabolites in the proliferation of PAH. This information could then be used in the identification of potential diagnostic markers and highlighting new targets for treatment of the disease.