title: Raman micro-spectroscopy for rapid screening of oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: Raman spectroscopy can provide a molecular-level fingerprint of the biochemical composition and structure of cells with excellent spatial resolution and could be useful to monitor changes in composition for dysplasia and early, non-invasive cancer diagnosis (carcinoma in situ), both ex-vivo and in vivo. In this study, we demonstrate this potential by collecting Raman spectra of the nucleoli, nuclei and cytoplasm from oral epithelial cancer (SCC-4) and dysplastic (pre-cancerous, DOK) cell lines and from normal oral epithelial primary cell cultures, in vitro, which were then analysed by principal component analysis (PCA) as a multivariate statistical method to discriminate the spectra. Results show significant discrimination between cancer and normal cell lines. Furthermore, the dysplastic and cancer cell lines could be discriminated based on the spectral profiles of the cytoplasmic regions. The principal component loading plot, which elucidates the biochemical features responsible for the discrimination, showed significant contributions of nucleic acid and proteins for nucleolar and nuclear sites and variation in features of lipids for the cytoplasmic area. This technique may provide a rapid screening method and have potential use in the diagnosis of dysplasia and early, non-invasive oral cancer, the treatment of which involves much less extensive and complex surgery and a reduction in associated co-morbidity for the patient.
authors: FOCAS Research Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street, Dublin 8, Ireland. Electronic address: luisfelipecarvalho@hotmail.com.
authors: Luis Felipe C S
authors: LF
authors: Carvalho
authors: FOCAS Research Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.
authors: Franck
authors: F
authors: Bonnier
authors: School of Dental Science, Dublin Dental University Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors: Kate
authors: K
authors: O'Callaghan
authors: School of Dental Science, Dublin Dental University Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors: Jeff
authors: J
authors: O'Sullivan
authors: School of Dental Science, Dublin Dental University Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors: Stephen
authors: S
authors: Flint
authors: FOCAS Research Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.
authors: Hugh J
authors: HJ
authors: Byrne
authors: Radiation and Environmental Science Centre, FOCAS Research Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street, Dublin 8, Ireland; School of Physics, Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.
authors: Fiona M
authors: FM
authors: Lyng
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Optical biopsy; Oral cancer; Oral cell lines; Oral dysplasia; Principal component analysis; Raman micro-spectroscopy