Recent progress in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for biological and biomedical applications: from cells to...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Spectroscopy
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful technique for molecular detection.
• Its high sensitivity and specificity make it suitable for complex biological environments.
• Understanding cellular function and microenvironments is crucial for disease assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in SERS applications for biological and biomedical detection.
• To highlight SERS's role in understanding living cells and their microenvironments.
• To discuss the clinical relevance and theranostic potential of SERS.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of SERS applications in the last three years.
• Focus on SERS-based cell investigation and in vivo studies.
• Analysis of SERS for disease detection, including cancer.

Main Results:

• SERS enables detailed investigation of living cells and their microenvironments.
• The technique demonstrates significant potential for in vivo cancer cell and tumor margin detection.
• Theranostic applications of SERS are emerging.

Conclusions:

• SERS is a highly feasible technique for biological and biomedical detection due to its sensitivity and specificity.
• SERS provides valuable insights into cellular processes relevant to disease.
• The clinical translation of SERS, particularly in oncology, is promising.