Advantages and limitations of Raman spectroscopy for molecular diagnostics: an update

Abstract

Over the last decade, Raman spectroscopy has gained more and more interest in research as well as in clinical laboratories. As a vibrational spectroscopy technique, it is complementary to the also well-established infrared spectroscopy. Through specific spectral patterns, substances can be identified and molecular changes can be observed with high specificity. Because of a high spatial resolution due to an excitation wavelength in the visible and near-infrared range, Raman spectroscopy combined with microscopy is very powerful for imaging biological samples. Individual cells can be imaged on the subcellular level. In vivo tissue examinations are becoming increasingly important for clinical applications. In this review, we present currently ongoing research in different fields of medical diagnostics involving linear Raman spectroscopy and imaging. We give a wide overview over applications for the detection of atherosclerosis, cancer, inflammatory diseases and pharmacology, with a focus on developments over the past 5 years. Conclusions drawn from Raman spectroscopy are often validated by standard methods, for example, histopathology or PCR. The future potential of Raman spectroscopy and its limitations are discussed in consideration of other non-linear Raman techniques.

The presence of microplastics in commercial salts from different countries

“…Micro-Raman spectroscopy is a highly specific technique used to identify the composition of biological, mineral or polymer samples. It offers a number of advantages such as analysis of microscopic particles while being non-invasive towards the samples2325. In addition, Raman measurements do not depend on the transmission of light through the particle, which consequently allows an accurate analysis of thicker or pigmented particles23.…”

Probing the action of a novel anti-leukaemic drug therapy at the single cell level using modern vibrational spectroscopy techniques

“…Molecules or functional groups that strongly scatter Raman light tend be more symmetric and chromophoric, whereas strong IR absorbers are usually more asymmetric in terms of their electronegativity when vibrating. The techniques are capable of providing a rapid, rich biochemical ‘fingerprint’, which on interpretation are extremely informative in both a research and more recently, a diagnostic setting 20–24 . Probing drug-cell interactions with spectroscopic techniques has become increasingly popular and can contribute to the understanding of the mode of action of the drug at a cellular level 25, 26 .…”

Combined fiber probe for fluorescence lifetime and Raman spectroscopy

“…Within the last 10 years Raman spectroscopy has been recognized as a valuable biomedical analytical tool for spectroscopic diagnostics of diseases and for studying biological tissue in general [3–5]. Because every chemical species in a tissue sample has a unique Raman spectrum, the overall chemical composition of the tissue sample can in principle be evaluated through an analysis of the Raman spectra of the sample by using sophisticated chemometric data analysis [6].…”