Molecular Fingerprint Detection Using Raman and Infrared Spectroscopy Technologies for Cancer Detection: A Progress Review

Abstract

Molecular vibrations play a crucial role in physical chemistry and biochemistry, and Raman and infrared spectroscopy are the two most used techniques for vibrational spectroscopy. These techniques provide unique fingerprints of the molecules in a sample, which can be used to identify the chemical bonds, functional groups, and structures of the molecules. In this review article, recent research and development activities for molecular fingerprint detection using Raman and infrared spectroscopy are discussed, with a focus on identifying specific biomolecules and studying the chemical composition of biological samples for cancer diagnosis applications. The working principle and instrumentation of each technique are also discussed for a better understanding of the analytical versatility of vibrational spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy is an invaluable tool for studying molecules and their interactions, and its use is likely to continue to grow in the future. Research has demonstrated that Raman spectroscopy is capable of accurately diagnosing various types of cancer, making it a valuable alternative to traditional diagnostic methods such as endoscopy. Infrared spectroscopy can provide complementary information to Raman spectroscopy and detect a wide range of biomolecules at low concentrations, even in complex biological samples. The article concludes with a comparison of the techniques and insights into future directions.

Complete characterization of RNA biomarker fingerprints using a multi-modal ATR-FTIR and SERS approach for label-free early breast cancer diagnosis

“…Both ATR-FTIR and SERS techniques are label-free techniques that have been used for the detection of biomolecules in various biological samples. [22][23][24][25] Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of FTIR and SERS techniques for sensitive and accurate detection and analysis of nucleic acids. [26][27][28] For instance, D. Li et al and Y. Li et al utilized SERS to detect miRNA and RNA bases, respectively, achieving improved sensitivity.…”

Power of Light: Raman Spectroscopy and Machine Learning for the Detection of Lung Cancer

“…In particular, human blood plasma, a complex biological fluid composed of proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, etc., is an excellent source for identifying biochemical changes . Therefore, Raman spectroscopy can be used to analyze the spectral signatures of blood plasma and provide valuable diagnostic information. , Raman spectroscopy and other vibrational spectroscopy methods have been used by several groups to investigate their capacity as new diagnostic technologies for a variety of cancers. , …”

“…7,8 Raman spectroscopy and other vibrational spectroscopy methods have been used by several groups to investigate their capacity as new diagnostic technologies for a variety of cancers. 9,10 This research mainly focused on the performance of several machine learning models used to discriminate the spectral signatures of human blood plasma samples between lung cancer patients and healthy controls. An ensemble of 16 different machine learning models was examined, including different combinations with a particular feature selection method, transformation techniques, and classifiers.…”

Review–Vibrational spectroscopy‐aided diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

“…Raman spectroscopy (RS) has been emerging as a potential analytical tool with many ramifications, particularly for rapid, non-invasive and specific disease diagnostics. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] RS is a non-destructive, label-free technique whereby scattered light is used to measure the vibrational modes of a molecule of interest. 22 Originally focused on the characterisation of various analytes in the fields of chemistry and physics, RS has recently been demonstrating unprecedented applications in clinical research ranging from cancer, 18,[23][24][25] infectious diseases 15,26,27 and neurodegenerative diseases.…”

“…Raman spectroscopy (RS) has been emerging as a potential analytical tool with many ramifications, particularly for rapid, non‐invasive and specific disease diagnostics 14–21 . RS is a non‐destructive, label‐free technique whereby scattered light is used to measure the vibrational modes of a molecule of interest 22 .…”