Surface-enhanced
Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful and sensitive
technique for the detection of fingerprint signals of molecules and
for the investigation of a series of surface chemical reactions. Many
studies introduced quantitative applications of SERS in various fields,
and several SERS methods have been implemented for each specific application,
ranging in performance characteristics, analytes used, instruments,
and analytical matrices. In general, very few methods have been validated
according to international guidelines. As a consequence, the application
of SERS in highly regulated environments is still considered risky,
and the perception of a poorly reproducible and insufficiently robust
analytical technique has persistently retarded its routine implementation.
Collaborative trials are a type of interlaboratory study (ILS) frequently
performed to ascertain the quality of a single analytical method.
The idea of an ILS of quantification with SERS arose within the framework
of Working Group 1 (WG1) of the EU COST Action BM1401 Raman4Clinics
in an effort to overcome the problematic perception of quantitative
SERS methods. Here, we report the first interlaboratory SERS study
ever conducted, involving 15 laboratories and 44 researchers. In this
study, we tried to define a methodology to assess the reproducibility
and trueness of a quantitative SERS method and to compare different
methods. In our opinion, this is a first important step toward a “standardization”
process of SERS protocols, not proposed by a single laboratory but
by a larger community.
In the present study, human primary oral squamous carcinoma cells treated with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil were analyzed, for the first time, by in vitro FTIR Microspectroscopy (FTIRM), to improve the knowledge on the biochemical pathways activated by these two chemotherapy drugs. To date, most of the studies regarding FTIRM cellular analysis have been executed on fixed cells from immortalized cell lines. FTIRM analysis performed on primary tumor cells under controlled hydrated conditions provides more reliable information on the biochemical processes occurring in in vivo tumor cells. This spectroscopic analysis allows to get on the same sample and at the same time an overview of the composition and structure of the most remarkable cellular components. In vitro FTIRM analysis of primary oral squamous carcinoma cells evidenced a time-dependent drug-specific cellular response, also including apoptosis triggering. Furthermore, the univariate and multivariate analyses of IR data evidenced meaningful spectroscopic differences ascribable to alterations affecting cellular proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. These findings suggest for the two drugs different pathways and extents of cellular damage, not provided by conventional cell-based assays (MTT assay and image-based cytometry).
With the aim of expanding the structure-activity relationship investigation, the series of Ru(II) half sandwich coordination compounds of the type [Ru([9]aneS3)(chel)(L)](n+) previously described by us (where [9]aneS3 is the neutral face-capping ligand 1,4,7-trithiacyclononane, chel is a neutral or anonic chelating ligand, L = Cl(-) or dmso-S, n = 0-2) was extended to 1,4,7-triazacyclononane ([9]aneN3). In addition, new neutral N-N, and anionic N-O and O-O chelating ligands, i.e. dach (trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane), pic(-) (picolinate), and acac(-) (acetylacetonate), were investigated in combination with both [9]aneS3 and [9]aneN3. Overall, ten new half-sandwich complexes were prepared and fully characterized and their chemical behaviour in aqueous solution was established. The single-crystal X-ray structures of eight of them, including the versatile precursor [Ru([9]aneN3)(dmso-S)(2)Cl]Cl (9), were also determined. The results of in vitro antiproliferative tests performed on selected compounds against MDA-MB-231 human mammary carcinoma cells confirmed that, in this series, only compounds that hydrolyse the monodentate ligand at a reasonable rate show moderate activity, provided that the chelate ligand is a hydrogen bond donor.
Here we present a new bonding protocol for SU-8 negative tone photoresist that exploits the chemical modifications induced in the resin by exposure to 254 nm (UVC) light. Fourier Transform Infrared microspectroscopy (μ-FTIR) was used to carry out a thorough study on the chemical processes and modifications occurring within the epoxy resin by exposure to 365 nm and 254 nm light. In particular, we established that UVC light promotes the opening of the epoxy rings bypassing the post-exposure bake. The possibility to promote a further activation of the resin, already patterned with standard UV lithography, was exploited to produce closed microfluidic devices. Specifically, we were able to fabricate fluidic chips, characterized by broadband transparency from mid-IR to UV and long term stability in continuous flow conditions. CaF2 was used as substrate, coated by sputtering with a nanometric silicon film, in order to make surface properties of this material more suitable for standard fabrication processes with respect to the original substrate. The fabricated microfluidic chips were used to study by μ-FTIR the biochemical response of live breast cancer MCF-7 cells to osmotic stress and their subsequent lysis induced by the injection of deionized water in the device. μ-FTIR analyses detected fast changes in protein, lipid and nucleic acid content as well as cytosol acidification.
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