Volumetric Absorptive Microsampling as An Effective Microsampling Technique for LC–MS/MS Bioanalysis of Biomarkers in Drug Discovery

Abstract

Aim: Develop and validate a volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS)-based LC–MS/MS method to support the bioanalysis of amino acid and carboxylic acid biomarkers in mouse whole blood. Method: Mouse whole blood was collected using a 10 μl VAMS device. The analytes in VAMS were extracted and analyzed using an LC–MS/MS method. Results: The VAMS-based LC–MS/MS assay exhibited a linearity range of 10.0–10,000 ng/ml with acceptable precision and accuracy and consistent recovery. The analyte stability in mouse whole blood VAMS was shown for 7 days at ambient conditions and at -80°C, as well as with three freeze/thaw cycles. Conclusion: A simple and robust VAMS-based LC–MS/MS method was developed and further validated for simultaneous bioanalysis of nine biomarkers in mouse whole blood.

Keywords:

• amino acids
• biomarkers
• carboxylic acids
• LC–MS/MS
• microsampling
• VAMS

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.4155/bio-2023-0059

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the current and former Agios personnel who supported our research in blood microsampling: Hector Cedre, Victor DeJesus, Ian Gliser, Christy Ingersoll, Shengfang Jin, Peter Morgan, Raj Nagaraja, Sheila Newhouse and Catherine Souza. They would also like to thank their research partners at WuXi AppTec, Shanghai.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The collection of mouse blood in this work was conducted under an IACUC-approved animal use protocol at the Agios research facility. Agios is an AAALAC-accredited institution.

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.2144/000112170