Toward a SERS Diagnostic Tool for Discrimination between Cancerous and Normal Bladder Tissues via Analysis of the Extracellular Fluid

Abstract

Vibrational spectroscopy provides the possibility for sensitive and precise detection of chemical changes in biomolecules due to development of cancers. In this work, label-free near-infrared surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was applied for the differentiation between cancerous and normal human bladder tissues via analysis of the extracellular fluid of the tissue. Specific cancer-related SERS marker bands were identified by using a 1064 nm excitation wavelength. The prominent spectral marker band was found to be located near 1052 cm –1 and was assigned to the C–C, C–O, and C–N stretching vibrations of lactic acid and/or cysteine molecules. The correct identification of 80% of samples is achieved with even limited data set and could be further improved. The further development of such a detection method could be implemented in clinical practice for the aid of surgeons in determining of boundaries of malignant tumors during the surgery.

SERS sensing for cancer biomarker: Approaches and directions

“… Plasma samples Thyroid cancer Non-Invasive Reduced Ag NPs, Direct SERS assay on tissue sample [ 173 ] 16. Plasma samples Bladder cancer Non-Invasive SERS with Ag NPs, Direct Tissue discrimination [ 174 ] 17. CD326/CD45 Breast cancer Invasive SERS on AgNPs direct cell detection [ 175 ] 18.…”

“…SERS can enhance the Raman scattering signal from molecules within the tissue sample, allowing their detection with high sensitivity and specificity [ [153] , [154] , [155] ]. In cancer tissue analysis, SERS can detect biomolecules associated with cancer, such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids, or even differentiate between cancerous and non-cancerous tissue samples [ 156 ]. Zhang et al [ 157 ] present a novel stimulus-responsive SERS (SR-SERS) probe designed to act as a “Trojan horse” in the tumor microenvironment (TME) to enhance vibrational signals, enabling precise molecular diagnosis of cancer.…”

Label-Free Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Analysis of Proteins: Advances and Applications

“…SERS of proteins in tissues are detectable by directly dropping noble metal nanoparticles on tissues or mixing tissues with a nanoparticle solution, and nanoparticle coating will form at the surface of the tissues [78][79][80]. Alternatively, tissues can be placed on SERS-active substrates and SERS collected from the top of the issues [81].…”

Application of Nanohybrid Substrates with Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembling Properties to High-Sensitivity Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection

“…Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a promising analytical technique that has rapidly developed because of extensive research, − having been employed for molecular detection, quantitative analysis, , and rapid biomedical testing. − The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) generated by most noble metals – including gold, silver, and copper – has demonstrated superior effects on the enhancement of SERS signals . Although silver has exhibited the most pronounced enhancement effect, the instability of silver nanoparticles during long-term storage and high antibacterial activity have limited their applications .…”