Strategies and Progress of Raman Technologies for Cellular Uptake Analysis of the Drug Delivery Systems

Abstract

Nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery systems have the potential to significantly enhance the pharmacological and therapeutic properties of drugs. These systems enhance the bioavailability and biocompatibility of pharmaceutical agents via enabling targeted delivery to specific tissues or organs. However, the efficacy and safety of these systems are largely dependent on the cellular uptake and intracellular transport of NPs. Thus, it is crucial to monitor the intracellular behavior of NPs within a single cell. Yet, it is challenging due to the complexity and size of the cell. Recently, the development of the Raman instrumentation offers a versatile tool to allow noninvasive cellular measurements. The primary objective of this review is to highlight the most recent advancements in Raman techniques (spontaneous Raman scattering, bioorthogonal Raman scattering, coherence Raman scattering, and surfaceenhanced Raman scattering) when it comes to assessing the internalization of NP-based drug delivery systems and their subsequent movement within cells.

Innovative Approaches for Drug Discovery: Quantifying Drug Distribution and Response with Raman Imaging

“…RS has been used to investigate nanocarrier properties. ,− Penders et al developed an imaging platform method called Single Particle Automated Raman Trapping Analysis (SPARTA) for the label-free, nondestructive analysis of nanoparticles . The platform combined optical trapping with Raman spectroscopy to characterize the composition, size, and dynamic processes of the individual nanoparticles at high throughput.…”

“…Both spontaneous Raman and CRS have been used to study drug distribution and the drug response within biological cells and tissues. Several reviews have covered the application of Raman spectroscopy (RS) and Raman imaging of biological cells and drug distribution. − Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is outside the scope of this review. Rapid advances in CRS imaging in the past decade have catalyzed many biological and biomedical applications, such as tissue diagnosis, lipid metabolism, and drug imaging. − Many of these technical advances and applications have been reviewed in recent years. − , Here, we focus specifically on the contributions of Raman and CRS to drug discovery and development in the past few years.…”