Use of lipid particles in medical diagnostics

1. A method for identifying one or more diseased cells in a subject, comprising:

(a) providing a cell culture derived from a biological sample of a subject;

(b) analyzing a crude extract of the cell culture by mass spectrometry on a nanostructure-initiator mass spectrometry (NIMS) chip having a perfluorinated coat;

(c) determining the abundance of one or more lipids in the cell culture, wherein an altered abundance of the one or more lipids in the cell culture, as compared to a reference level, identifies a subject as having one or more diseased cells, wherein the one or more diseased cells comprise cancer cells, wherein at least one of the one or more lipids comprises a lipid detected by mass spectrometry, wherein the at least one of the one or more lipids comprises PC(30:0), PE(36:2), PC(P-34:0), PE(P-34:1), PS(36:1), PE(34:1), PE(36:1), Glucosylceramide (d18:1/16:0), PC(34:0), PE(P-36: 4), PE(38: 1), Glucosylceramide (d18: 1/22:0), Glucosylceramide (d18:1/24:1), PE(34:2), or a combination thereof; and

(d) treating the subject identified as having one or more diseased cells with one or more anti-cancer agents.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference level is established using a reference sample from a healthy subject.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell culture comprises one or more lipid-containing microparticles.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more lipid-containing microparticles are exosomes, cell membrane fragments, cellular and intracellular organelle fragments, lipid bilayers, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the abundance of one or more lipids in the cell culture comprises determining the lipid composition of the cell culture.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more lipids is a monounsaturated lipid or a saturated lipid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more lipids comprises a lipid detected by mass spectrometry at about m/z 648.6304, at about m/z 538.5207, at about m/z 722.5574, at about m/z 700.5739, at about m/z 756.6337, at about m/z 778.6181, at about m/z 810.6781, at about m/z 832.6667, at about m/z 784.6613, at about m/z 806.6432, at about m/z 812.6909, at about m/z 834.679337, at about m/z 496.3414, at about m/z 524.373, at about m/z 522.3571, at about m/z 546.3553, at about m/z 454.294, at about m/z 482.3278, at about m/z 480.3097, at about m/z 678.508, at about m/z 676.4939, at about m/z 674.4662, at about m/z 706.5404, at about m/z 734.5717, at about m/z 732.5562, at about m/z 730.5439, at about m/z 728.5267, at about m/z 762.6029, at about m/z 760.5881, at about m/z 758.5715, at about m/z 756.5589, at about m/z 754.5394, at about m/z 788.6188, at about m/z 786.6026, at about m/z 784.5883, at about m/z 782.5723, at about m/z 810.605, at about m/z 808.5852, at about m/z 806.5714, at about m/z 834.6105, at about m/z 832.5859, at about m/z 692.5608, at about m/z 718.5761, at about m/z 746.6074, at about m/z 690.5083, at about m/z 720.5563, at about m/z 716.5241, at about m/z 746.5716, at about m/z 744.5557, at about m/z 742.5397, at about m/z 774.6024, at about m/z 772.5866, at about m/z 770.5705, at about m/z 768.554, at about m/z 766.5399, at about m/z 674.5134, at about m/z 704.555, at about m/z 702.5451, at about m/z 700.5293, at about m/z 730.5768, at about m/z 728.5592, at about m/z 726.5444, at about m/z 724.5292, at about m/z 758.6063, at about m/z 754.5757, at about m/z 752.5608, at about m/z 752.5595, at about m/z 750.5451, at about m/z 748.531, at about m/z 784.628, at about m/z 778.5781, at about m/z 776.5621, at about m/z 774.5456, at about m/z 689.5612, at about m/z 711.5457, at about m/z 749.5355, at about m/z 766.5602, at about m/z 747.5208, at about m/z 764.5472, at about m/z 777.566, at about m/z 794.5945, at about m/z 775.5505, at about m/z 792.5765, at about m/z 762.5297, at about m/z 790.5614, at about m/z 788.5477, at about m/z 838.5617, at about m/z 836.5452, at about m/z 675.5451, at about m/z 705.5839, at about m/z 703.5774, at about m/z 731.6081, at about m/z 815.7008, at about m/z 732.6077, at about m/z 787.6636, at about m/z 813.6856, at about m/z 835.6672, at about m/z 835.6659, at about m/z 701.5613, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell culture comprises exosomes.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the one or more lipids comprises PC(30:0).

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the one or more lipids comprises PC(30:0), PE(36:2), PC(P-34:0), PE(P-34:1), PS(36:1), PE(34:1), PE(36: 1), Glucosylceramide (d18: 1/16: 0), PC(34:0), PE(P-36: 4), PE(38: 1), Glucosylceramide (d18:1/22:0), Glucosylceramide (d18:1/24:1), and PE(34:2).