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Published on: March 25, 2019
[Surface-enhanced Raman spectra of natural tissue and cancerous tissue of lung]
Yan-nan Liu1, Zu-quan Zou, Yan-qing Liu
1Photonics Center of School of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. nklyn@mail.nankai.edu.cn
Abstract:
Surface-enhanced Raman spectra of natural tissue and cancerous tissue of lung from 300 to 1700 cm(-1) were measured. In the cancerous tissue of lung, the orderly conformations of amides III and amides I of the main chains in protein such as alpha-helix, beta-corner and no rules curly were damaged seriously; conversely, the extendable vibration of skeleton C-N and skeleton C-C increased. Side chains change became complicated. In general, the content of nucleic acids increases in the cancer tissue of lung. The lengthways conformations of lecithoid chains is out-of-order in the cancerous tissue of lung compared with the natural ones.
Insights
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy reveals significant molecular changes in cancerous lung tissue. Protein structures and lipid chains are disrupted, indicating potential biomarkers for lung cancer detection.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Biochemistry
- Medical Spectroscopy
Background:
- Distinguishing cancerous from natural lung tissue is crucial for effective diagnosis and treatment.
- Understanding the molecular alterations in lung cancer can lead to novel diagnostic approaches.
- Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) offers high sensitivity for molecular analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular differences between natural and cancerous lung tissues using SERS.
- To identify specific spectral changes indicative of lung cancer development.
Main Methods:
- Acquisition of surface-enhanced Raman spectra from natural and cancerous human lung tissue samples.
- Analysis of spectral data in the range of 300 to 1700 cm(-1).
Main Results:
- Significant damage to orderly protein conformations (amides I and III, alpha-helix, beta-corner) observed in cancerous tissue.
- Increased skeletal vibrations (C-N, C-C) and complex side-chain changes in cancer tissue.
- Elevated nucleic acid content and disordered lecithoid chain conformations in cancerous lung tissue.
Conclusions:
- SERS can detect substantial molecular structural damage in lung cancer tissue.
- Alterations in protein conformation, skeletal vibrations, nucleic acid content, and lipid structures are characteristic of lung cancer.
- These findings highlight SERS as a promising technique for lung cancer diagnosis.
