Endocrine Abstracts

More than a decade has passed since my 2015 article, Mass spectrometry and Immunoassay: How to Measure Steroid Hormones Today and Tomorrow (Euro J Endo (2015) 173:2), yet mass spectrometry has still not been widely (enough) adopted in endocrine research. Many laboratories continue to rely on immunoassays and ELISAs, which can suffer from cross-reactivity, limited sensitivity, and narrow dynamic ranges, potentially affecting accuracy. Barriers to adoption, include cost, workflow complexity, and researcher/clinician unfamiliarity. I will highlight the advantages of mass spectrometry, including accurate, multiplexed, and reproducible hormone measurements across diverse biological samples, such as serum, urine, saliva, tissue, hair, sweat and cell media. Using examples from steroid, thyroid, and vitamin D measurements I will demonstrate the potential to improve understanding of endocrine disorders using mass spectrometry. I will discuss my experiences at the Steroid Metabolome Analysis Core (SMAC), University of Birmingham, applying mass spectrometry to a wide range of both clinical and research questions. Through collaborative projects, SMAC has integrated mass spectrometry with both fundamental and clinical research to enhance precision, investigate metabolism, validate biomarkers, develop new diagnostics, and improve patient stratification. Demonstrating how mass spectrometry can translate directly into impactful accurate, evidence-based endocrine research including profiling hormones in adrenal cancer, hormone excess and deficiency, stress, trauma, recovery, and endocrine cancers. Therefore, the question is not what mass spectrometry can do for endocrinologists, but why aren’t all endocrinologists demanding to use mass spectrometry?